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MEMOIR 


JOHN   CODMAN,   D.  D 


WILLIAM   ALLEN,  D.  D. 

LATE   PRESIDENT   OF  BOWDOIN   COLLEGE  : 


REMINISCENCES 


JOSHUA    BATES,    D.  D 

LATE  PRESIDENT   OF  MIDDLEBURY  COLLEGE. 


BOSTON: 

T.  R.  MARVIN   AND    S.  K.  WHIPPLE   &    CO. 
1853. 


MEMOIR 


JOHN  CODMAN,  D.D 


WILLIAM   ALLEN,   D.  D. 


iyJ^70366 


MEMOIR 


CHAPTER  I. 

INTEODUCTORY  REMARKS.— DE.  CODMAN'S  ANCESTRY. 

The  annals  of  the  American  pulpit  are  yet  very 
imperfect ;  but  it  may  well  be  doubted,  whether 
any  nation,  in  the  same  period,  has  ever  produced 
a  greater  number  of  able  and  eminent  ministers. 
Certainly  no  country,  of  equal  extent,  can  rival  New 
England  in  this  respect.  In  its  earliest  settlement, 
and  amidst  its  privations  and  hardships,  the  estab- 
lishment of  Harvard  College  attested  the  wisdom  of 
our  ancestors  and  their  fidelity  to  the  interests  of 
education  and  religion.  They  knew  that,  without 
a  clergy  of  piety  and  intelligence,  there  was  little 
hope  of  a  safe  and  flourishing  Commonwealth ; 
hence  it  was  their  earliest  care  to  provide  the  best 
means   of    education,    and   to   send   forth  to  their 


10  MEMOIR   OF   DR.   CODMAN. 

churches  a  well-instructed  and  faithful  ministry. 
How  well  they  succeeded,  and  how  extensive  and 
salutary  was  their  influence,  is  seen  in  the  high  tone 
of  morals  which  pervades  New  England  ;  in  the 
strength  and  beauty  of  its  social  and  civil  compact ; 
in  its  far-reaching  enterprise,  its  institutions  of  phi- 
lanthropy, and  its  many  visible  tokens  of  primitive 
and  intelligent  piety. 

To  give  to  the  world  a  record  of  the  virtues  and 
labors  of  the  New  England  clergy,  is  one  of  the 
best  methods  of  perpetuating  the  blessings  with 
which  they  have  enriched  us.  Whenever  a  min- 
ister has  been  eminent  in  the  cause  of  Christ,  it 
becomes  an  imperative  duty  to  hold  his  character 
and  services  in  grateful  remembrance.  If,  after  his 
death,  his  worth  is  commemorated,  and  his  life  and 
character  are  presented  to  the  world,  he  is  still  a 
preacher  of  righteousness  on  the  earth,  while  he 
mingles  in  the  worship  above,  and  praises  his 
Redeemer  in  the  upper  temple,  "not  made  with 
hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens." 

The  important  relations  which  the  late  Rev.  Dr. 
CoDMAN  sustained  to  our  churches,  the  eminent 
services  rendered  by  him  to  the  evangelical  faith, 
the  unsullied  purity  of  his  character,  and  the  warm 
and  grateful  love  of  his  church  and  people,  demand 


MEMOIR   OF   DR.   CODMAN.  11 

that  a  life,  thus  devoted  to  the  service  of  Christ, 
should  be  fullj  and  faithfully  delineated.  Such  a 
biography  belongs  to  the  ministry,  of  which  he  was 
an  ornament  and  a  model,  and  to  the  community, 
who  honored  him  while  living  and  deeply  lamented 
him  in  death. 

We  shall  give  some  account  of  Dr.  Cod  man's 
ancestry,  because  men,  who  have  done  worthily  in 
their  generation,  ought  not  to  be  forgotten  in  sub- 
sequent ages.  They  were  among  the  laity  of  New 
England,  always  remarkable  for  integrity,  and 
enjoying  a  large  and  valuable  influence,  both  in 
social  and  civil  relations. 

The  earliest  of  the  paternal  ancestry  of  Dr. 
Codman,  in  America,  was  Stephen  Codman,  of 
Charlestown,  Massachusetts,  in  the  year  1680.  His 
youngest  son,  John  Codman,  (the  only  one  of  eight 
children,  who  survived  him,)  married,  in  1718, 
Parnel  Foster,  daughter  of  Richard  Foster,  a  man 
of  eminence  in  the  Colony,  whose  wife  was  the 
daughter  of  Isaac  and  Mary  Winslow.  And  it  may 
here  be  mentioned,  that  the  mother  of  Isaac  Wins- 
low  was  the  first  female  who  landed  from  the  May- 
flower, December  21,  1620.  Capt.  John  Codman 
held  a  commission  under  the  king,  and  was  an 
officer   in   the    Ancient    and    Honorable    Artillery 


12  MEMOIE  OF  DE.  CODMAN. 

Company  in  1745.  He  was  a  highly  respectable 
and  useful  citizen,  and  an  active  military  officer. 
The  circumstances  attending  his  death  were  most 
afflictive.  He  had  three  negro  slaves,  named  Mark, 
Phillis,  and  Phoebe,  who  poisoned  him  with  arsenic. 
The  two  former  were  convicted  and  executed. 
The  place  of  Mark's  execution  was  on  the  northerly- 
side  of  Cambridge  road,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
above  the  peninsula,  and  the  gibbet  remained  until 
a  short  time  before  the  Revolution.  Phillis  was 
burned  at  the  stake,  about  ten  yards  from  the  gal- 
lows. It  has  been  said  that,  in  the  history  of  the 
country,  this  is  the  only  instance  of  that  method  of 
punishment  under  the  authority  of  the  law.  It  is 
well  for  New  England,  that  her  records  can  furnish 
no  other  example. 

John  Codman,  son  of  Capt.  John  Codman,  was 
born  in  Charlestown,  in  the  year  1719,  and  died  at 
his  residence  in  Boston,  January  17,  1792.  Early 
in  life  he  was  deeply  impressed  with  the  impor- 
tance of  religion,  under  the  eloquent  preaching 
of  Whitefield  and  of  Gilbert  Tennent,  during  the 
first  visit  of  the  former  to  New  England.  He  was 
admitted  to  the  church  in  Charlestown,  at  the  age  of 
twenty.  About  the  year  1754,  he  married  Abigail 
Asbury,  widow  of  John   Asbury  and   daughter  of 


MEMOIE  OF  DR.  CODMAN.  13 

John  Soley,  of  Charlestown,  an  excellent  woman, 
of  strong  mind  and  ardent  piety.  Mr.  Codman 
was  a  decided  whig,  and  a  warm  friend  to  his 
country.  In  February,  1770,  he  was  one  of  the 
committee  of  inspection  in  Charlestown  as  to  the 
non-importation  agreement.  In  November,  1773, 
he,  with  many  other  whigs,  petitioned  for  a  meeting 
on  the  subject  of  the  tea,  which  was  soon  to  be 
imported,  and  he  was  one  of  a  committee  to  recom- 
mend measures  that  should  be  adopted. 

Hon.  John  Codman,  the  third  of  the  name,  and 
father  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Codman,  was  born  in 
Charlestown,  January  17,  1755.  He  was  married 
at  Lincoln,  July  15,  1781,  to  Margaret  Russell, 
youngest  daughter  of  Hon.  James  Russell,  by  whom 
he  had  two  children ;  John,  the  subject  of  this 
Memoir,  and  Charles  Russell  Codman  of  Boston, 
recently  deceased.  The  father  of  Dr.  Codman 
received  his  early  education  at  Dummer  Academy, 
in  Byfield,  and  subsequently  entered  the  counting 
house  of  Isaac  Smith,  Esq.  in  Boston.  He  died  at 
the  early  age  of  forty-eight,  leaving  a  large  estate  ; 
and  at  the  time  of  his  decease  was  a  member  of  the 
Senate  of  Massachusetts.  The  following  tribute  to 
his  memory  was  penned  by  the  late  John  Lowell, 
Esq.     ''  Amidst  the  awful  and  sudden  dispensations 


14  MEMOIR   OF   DR.   CODMAN. 

of  Providence,  which  we  are  occasionally  called 
upon  to  witness,  few  have  ever  produced  more  pub- 
lic regret  or  private  calamity,  than  the  death  of  this 
truly  excellent  and  respectable  citizen.  Of  manners 
gentle,  of  affections  warm  and  glowing,  of  habits 
industrious  and  enterprising,  with  an  understanding 
clear  and  masculine,  with  an  eloquence  impressive 
and  energetic,  with  a  heart  expanded  and  generous, 
he  was  excellently  qualified  to  fill  and  honorably 
to  discharge  the  various  important  public  and  private 
relations  in  which  he  stood  to  society.  As  a 
husband,  father,  friend,  he  yielded  to  no  one  in  the 
tender,  affectionate,  constant  performance  of  all 
those  interesting  attentions  which  these  endearing 
relations  require.  As  a  merchant,  his  assiduity, 
honor,  fidelity,  enterprise  and  discernment,  rendered 
him  an  object  of  sincere  respect  to  the  old,  and  an 
excellent  model  to  the  young.  As  a  citizen,  he  was 
generous,  affable,  kind,  compassionate  and  patriotic. 
In  public  life,  he  exhibited  capacity,  information, 
eloquence  and  an  ardent  love  for  his  country.  In 
the  meridian  of  life,  in  the  full  career  of  usefulness 
and  reputation,  just  entering  into  the  higher  councils 
of  the  State,  and  while  his  fellow  citizens  were  pre- 
saging his  future  eminence,  the  destroying  angel 
aimed  the  silent  but  fatal  blow,  and  left  nothing  to 


MEMOIR   OF  DR,  CODMAN.  15 

his  affectionate  survivors  but  unavailing  regret. 
Regret?  No.  When  v^e  recollect  the  brightest 
and  hitherto  unnoticed  trait  in  the  character  of  this 
admirable  man,  we  ought  not  to  express,  scarcely  to 
feel  regret.  Mr.  Codman  died,  as  he  had  lived,  a 
Vi^arm,  sincere,  pious  believer  in  the  Christian  relig- 
ion, its  hopes,  and  future  rewards.  His  death  was 
even  more  honorable  and  distinguished,  certainly 
more  extraordinary,  than  his  life.  After  a  very 
short  sickness,  he  yielded  up  his  spirit  into  the 
hands  of  his  Maker,  without  a  sigh  or  a  murmur, 
with  calmness,  resignation,  and  heroic  fortitude.  In 
the  full  possession  of  all  his  faculties,  he  died  a 
hero,  patriot,  and  Christian." 

In  the  year  1791,  Mr.  Codman  married  his  second 
wife,  Catharine  Amory,  daughter  of  John  Amory, 
Esq.,  a  lady  of  singular  intelligence,  enlarged 
benevolence,  and  devoted  piety,  by  whom  he  had 
six  children.  She  died  in  Boston,  December  22, 
1831. 

It  seems  proper  to  add  to  this  account  some 
notice  of  the  maternal  ancestry  of  Dr.  Codman,  as 
they  occupied  important  stations  in  society,  and  were 
highly  influential  and  useful  in  the  civil  and  eccle- 
siastical affairs  of  New  England. 

Margaret  Russell,  the   mother  of  Dr.  Codman, 


16  MEMOIR  OF  DE.  CODMAN. 

was  a  descendant  of  Richard  Russell  of  Hereford, 
in  the  County  of  Hereford,  in  England,  who  came 
to  America  and  settled  in  Charlestown  in  the  year 
1640.  He  was  elected  a  Representative  and  was 
Speaker  of  the  House  for  several  years,  and  for  a 
long  time  was  Treasurer  of  the  Colony.  He  pur- 
chased a  part  of  the  Pemaquid  Patent,  and  most  of 
the  town  of  Medford  once  belonged  to  him.  He 
died  in  the  year  1676.  To  the  church  in  Charles- 
town,  with  which  he  had  been  in  Christian  fellow- 
ship for  many  years,  he  bequeathed  a  portion  of  his 
property,  the  annual  proceeds  of  which  have  been 
dispensed  to  the  poor  of  that  church  down  to  the 
present  day.  He  also  gave  one  hundred  pounds  to 
Harvard  College. 

James  Russell,  son  of  Richard  Russell,  was  born 
in  Charlestown  in  1640,  and  was  elected  a  Coun- 
cillor for  the  Colony  in  the  year  1680,  from  which 
time  until  his  death  he  was  annually  chosen,  ex- 
cepting during  the  few  years  of  the  reign  of  King 
James,  when  the  people  were  deprived  of  the  priv- 
ilege of  that  office.  He  served  God  and  his  country 
also  as  Treasurer,  Judge,  and  in  other  offices  of  the 
highest  influence  and  trust.  His  mortal  career  was 
closed,  April  28,  1709,  in  the  full  hope  of  a  happy 
immortality. 


MEMOIR   OF   DR.   CODMAN.  if 

Daniel  Russell,  son  of  James  Russell,  was  born  in 
Charlestown,  November  30,  1685,  and  died  Decem- 
ber 6,  1763.  He  was  for  more  than  twenty  years  a 
member  of  His  Majesty's  Council  and  Commissioner 
of  Imports,  and  also  for  about  fifty  years  was  Treas- 
urer of  the  County  of  Middlesex.  It  is  observable 
that,  in  the  several  offices  which  he  sustained 
he  succeeded  his  worthy  father  and  grandfather. 
Chambers  Russell,  his  eldest  son,  was  Judge  of  the 
Court  of  Vice-Admiralty  for  the  Province  of  Mas- 
sachusetts Bay,  New  Hampshire,  and  the  Colony 
of  Rhode  Island  ;  and,  in  the  year  1752,  he  was 
appointed  one  of  the  Justices  of  the  Superior  Court 
of  Judicature.  He  was  heir  to  Charles  Chambers, 
Esq.,  who  came  from  Lincoln,  in  England  ;  and 
when  a  separation  of  the  town  of  Lincoln  from 
Concord  took  place,  it  was  called  Lincoln,  in  honor 
of  him. 

James  Russell,  second  son  of  Daniel  Russell, 
succeeded  to  the  public  honors  of  his  ancestors  as 
Representative,  Councillor  and  Judge.  His  young- 
est daughter,  Margaret  Russell,  was  the  mother  of 
Dr.  Codman. 

Judge  Russell,  in  a  letter  to  his  son,  remarks  as 
follows  :  "  Our  family  has  great  reason  to  bless  God, 
that  its  reputation  has  been  preserved.     You  are  of 


18  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

the  fifth  generation.  In  the  year  1646,  Richard 
Russell  entered  upon  public  life ;  and  from  that  time 
to  the  present,  I  may  say  that  the  family  have  had 
every  office  of  profit  and  honor,  w^hich  the  public 
could  give  them  in  the  town  of  Charlestown,  in  the 
County  of  Middlesex,  and  State  of  Massachusetts ; 
and  I  do  not  find,  that  any  one  was  left  out  of  office 
for  misbehavior.  Let  our  hearts  be  filled  with  grat- 
itude to  Him  who  has  thus  distinguished  us,  and  let 
us  evince  this  our  gratitude  to  our  Maker,  by  a  good 
improvement  of  our  talents." 

Such  was  the  ancestry,  and  such  the  honorable 
descent  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Codman. 


MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN.  19 


CHAPTER  II. 

HIS  EAELY  CHAEACTER  AND  EDUCATION  —  INCIDEXTS  OF  COLLEGE 
LIFE  — RELIGIOUS  IMPEESSIONS  — COMMENCEMENT  OF  THEOLOGICAL 
STUDIES  — JOUENEYS  IN  NEW  ENGLAND. 

Dr.  Codman  was  bom  August  3,  1782,  and  was 
baptized  in  Brattle  Street  Church  bj  Rev.  Dr. 
Cooper.  "  His  parents,"  sajs  the  Rev.  Dr.  Storrs 
in  his  funeral  sermon,  "  educated  their  children 
faithfully  in  the  principles  of  scriptural  morality  and 
strict  regard  to  the  institutions  of  revealed  religion." 
At  this  time  there  was  no  visible  departure  from  an 
evangelical  faith.  It  was  undoubtedly  true,  that 
many  circumstances  had  lowered  the  standard  of 
religious  practice;  and,  among  these,  the  war  of  the 
Revolution  had  contributed  its  fatal  influence.  But, 
whatever  were  the  causes  which  in  twenty-five 
years  from  Dr.  Codman's  birth  had  nearly  subverted 
the  ancient  faith  of  the  churches,  there  was  no 
marked  distinction  of  doctrine,  during  his  childhood 
and  youth,  which  might  prevent  the  appropriate 
influence  of  divine  truth  on  his  mind.     It  does  not 


20  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

however  appear,  that  he  experienced  anj  strong 
religious  impressions  in  very  early  life. 

"  Of  his  early  youth,"  continues  Dr.  Storrs,  "  the 
prominent  characteristics  were  a  marked  buoyancy 
of  spirits,  gaiety  of  manners,  sociality  of  feeling, 
sprightliness  of  mind,  facility  of  intellectual  acqui- 
sition, frankness  of  disposition,  and  ardent  attach- 
ment." His  youthful  studies  were  prosecuted  at 
Andover  Academy,  and  under  the  care  of  the  Rev. 
Henry  Ware  of  Hingham.  He  entered  Harvard 
College  in  1798,  and  was  graduated  with  honor  in 
1802,  in  a  class  of  sixty — the  largest  class  which 
had  been  connected  with  the  college. 

His  amiable  deportment,  his  exemplary  discharge 
of  moral  and  social  duties,  greatly  endeared  him  to 
his  classmates  and  friends ;  but  we  have  no  impor- 
tant records  of  his  college  life,  and  he  appears  to 
have  given  no  remarkable  indication  of  that  firmness 
and  fortitude,  and  of  those  rare  attainments  in 
prudence  and  wisdom,  which,  in  after  life,  no  emer- 
gency could  baffle,  and  of  which  neither  persecution 
nor  flattery  could  disarm  him. 

In  so  large  a  class,  it  was  necessary  that  a 
considerable  number  should  be  excluded  from  the 
opportunity  of  a  public  performance  at  commence- 
ment.    In  the  first  arrangement  of  the  exercises, 


MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN.  21 

Mr.  Codman's  name  was  omitted.  The  class, 
however,  elected  him  to  deliver  a  poem  on  the  occa- 
sion of  their  departure  from  college  ;  and  this  was 
so  creditable  to  him,  that  it  induced  the  college 
government  immediately  to  repair  the  injustice,  as 
the  President  expressed  himself,  which  had  been 
done  to  Mr.  Codman,  and  to  assign  him  a  com- 
mencement exercise.  This  affair  was  alwajs  a 
matter  of  pleasant  reminiscence. 

President  Willard,  who  had  just  recovered  from 
sickness,  was  present  at  the  delivery  of  the  poem, 
the  following  lines  of  which,  containing  an  affec- 
tionate address  to  himself,  drew  tears  from  his 
eyes  : 

"  Pause !  ye  who  aim  the  sacred  desk  to  fill, 
Look,  ere  you  strive  to  climb  the  holy  hill ; 
Supremely  blest,  if  with  magnetic  charm 
You  lure  the  giddy  multitude  from  harm, 
Stoop  not  to  pluck  the  flowerets  by  the  way, 
That  bloom  for  seizure,  but  when  pluck'd  decay  ; 
Receive  and  give  to  thousands  of  the  fruit. 
And  water  with  your  tears  Religion's  root. 
Those  who  have  claimed  their  blest  abodes  on  high, 
To  form  new  planets,  risen  to  the  sky, 
Belknap  and  Clarke,  as  second  stars,  shall  guide 
To  show,  how  Jesus  lived,  and  how  he  died  ; 
But,  when  a  saint,  almost  expiring,  strove 
To  join  the  kindred  spirits  gone  above. 
Thanks  to  Almighty  power,  which  from  the  dead 
Raised  to  new  life  the  reverend  Clergy's  head. — 


22  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

Kind  father  of  our  literary  days  ! 
Permit  thy  children  to  express  their  praise 
To  Him,  who  stretched  his  ready  hand  to  save 
The  guide  to  truth  from  a  too  early  grave. 

"  Indulgent  Heaven,  with  wisest  motives  fraught, 
Our  greatest  good,  by  contrast,  oft  hath  taught, — 
So,  from  the  sky,  sickness  commissioned  came 
To  blast  the  hopes  of  literature  and  fame  ; 
Round  our  horizon  clouds  of  sorrow  hung. 
Prayer  filled  each  heart  and  trembled  on  each  tongue, 
Till  health  unveiled  her  rainbow  to  the  sight. 
Dispersed  the  clouds,  and  bade  the  sun  delight." 

In  bidding  farewell  to  his  companions,  he  de- 
scribed, with  prophetic  truth,  his  own  satisfaction 
in  after  years,  in  recalling  the  scenes  of  his  college 
life. 

"  Harvard  !  thy  walls  now  lessen  from  my  view, 
Friends  of  my  youth,  classmates,  a  long  adieu. 
Old  time  hath  brought  our  journey  to  a  close, 
Who  heeds  no  feeling,  and  no  friendship  knows  ; 
Relentless  tyrant !  cruel  were  thy  sway, 
Hard  to  acknowledge,  harder  to  obey. 
Had  not  sweet  memory  said  and  promised  true, 
That  times,  so  pleasant,  ever  should  be  new, 
And  penciled  on  the  canvass  of  the  mind 
In  brightest  colors  all  we've  left  behind." 

While  pursuing  the  study  of  the  law  in  the  office 
of  his  kinsman,  John  Lowell,  Esq.,  the  sudden  death 
of  his  father  was  the  means  of  changing  his  destined 


MEMOIR   OF  DR.    CODMAN.  23 

profession.  In  his  last  sickness,  his  father  intimated 
a  wish  that  his  son  should  become  a  minister  of 
the  gospel.  This  circumstance,  and  the  subsequent 
deep  affliction,  working  on  a  most  affectionate 
heart,  were  doubtless  instrumental,  through  the 
mercy  of  God,  in  giving  him  religious  impressions 
which  he  had  never  before  experienced.  He  com- 
menced the  study  of  theology,  in  1803,  with  his 
early  instructor.  Rev.  Henry  Ware  of  Hingham, 
with  whom  he  remained  about  a  year;  and  then 
removed  to  Cambridge,  there  to  continue  his  theo- 
logical pursuits. 

Dr.  Tappan,  the  Professor  of  Theology,  was 
now  deceased,  and  he  was  not  succeeded  by 
Dr.  Ware  until  June  of  the  next  year.  But  at 
Cambridge,  Mr.  Codman  found  congenial  society, 
associates  engaged  in  the  same  pursuits.  He 
formed  a  particular  intimacy  with  several  students 
and  preachers  of  evangelical  sentiments,  with  one 
of  whom,  the  writer  of  this  Memoir,  he  entered 
into  a  peculiar  and  strong  friendship,  which  lasted 
during  his  subsequent  life. 

At  this  period  the  preachers  and  students  in 
theology,  resident  at  Cambridge,  united  in  a  society 
called  the  Kappa  Delta,  from  the  initials  of  two 
Greek  words  denoting  the  School  of  Preachers.     Of 


24  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

this  society,  Mr.  Codman  was  the  secretary.  At 
the  meetings,  which  were  held  in  a  retired  room, 
prayers  were  offered  and  a  sermon  was  delivered, 
which  was  subject  to  the  criticisms  of  the  mem- 
bers present.  Sometimes  the  discourses  assumed 
a  polemical  form,  and  important  doctrines  were 
discussed.  This  institution  was  not  without  its 
advantages.  Of  its  members,  at  this  period,  five 
or  six  were  subsequently  honored  with  the  title  of 
Doctors  in  Theology. 

There  existed,  at  the  same  time,  at  Cambridge, 
a  society  designed  to  promote  practical  religion, 
consisting  of  the  members  of  the  college,  but  which 
was  often  attended  and  encouraged  by  the  resident 
theological  students.  It  was  called  the  Saturday 
Evening  Religious  Society,  and  was  useful  in  keep- 
ing alive,  in  a  time  of  degeneracy,  a  spirit  of  piety. 
Of  this  society  Mr.  Codman  was  an  active  friend. 

At  this  period,  either  at  Hingham  or  at  Cam- 
bridge, William  Cooper's  "  Four  Sermons  on  Pre- 
destination" were  put  into  his  hands,  with  a  re- 
quest that  he  would  write  a  review  of  them  for  the 
Monthly  Anthology.  This  journal  was  the  organ 
of  the  liberal  party,  which  had  just  begun  to  present 
somewhat  distinctly  the  features  of  Unitarianism. 
It  was,  of  course,  expected  that  the  review  would 


MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN.  25 

be  in  accordance  with  the  liberal  opinions  of  that 
periodical.  Mr.  Codman  read  the  book,  undoubt- 
edly under  the  influence  of  the  general  prejudice 
against  the  doctrines  which  it  advocated.  But 
"  its  perusal  opened  his  ejes,  for  the  first  time,  on 
the  beautiful  consistency  of  the  doctrines  there 
defended,  with  the  Scriptures  of  truth,  and  on  their 
excellency  as  revealing  God  on  the  throne  of  the 
universe,  controlling  at  his  pleasure  the  movements 
of  rebellious  man."  *  The  review  which  was  written 
did  not  appear  in  the  polished  though  frigid  pages 
of  the  Anthology,  but  met  the  public  eye  in  the 
first  number  of  the  Panoplist  for  June,  1805. 

Of  the  kind,  sympathizing  and  benevolent  spirit, 
which  ever  marked  the  character  of  Mr.  Codman, 
the  following  instance  may  here  be  mentioned  : — A 
young  student,  of  Londonderry,  N.  H.,  was  dan- 
gerously sick  at  Cambridge,  and  his  father  came  to 
remove  him  to  his  home.  Mr.  Codman  proposed  to 
the  writer  to  accompany  with  him,  in  his  own  sleigh, 
the  sick  man  in  his  slow  and  melancholy  journey. 
At  the  end  of  three  days,  the  son  and  brother 
reached  the  bosom  of  an  interesting  family,  whose 
gratitude  to  Mr.  Codman  was  without  bounds. 
The  young  student  died  on  the   fourth  of  March 

*  Rev.  Dr.  Storrs's  Sermon. 


26  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

following,  crjing  out  in  his  delirium,  "  Mr.  Codman  ! 
my  friend,  Mr.  Codman  !  "  A  brief  account  of  the 
religious  experience  of  this  young  man  was  given  by 
Mr.  Codman,  at  the  next  meeting  of  the  Saturday 
Evening  Society.  He  stated  that,  after  suffering 
the  deepest  anxiety  from  a  sense  of  ill-desert,  and 
his  exposure  to  the  just  punishment  of  sin,  on  one 
morning  the  light  broke  in  upon  his  mind,  and 
from  that  moment,  as  he  was  persuaded,  he  loved 
God  and  relied  upon  the  blood  of  atonement,  having 
a  heart  renewed  by  the  divine  Spirit,  and  living 
continually  in  prayer  and  in  the  hope  of  immortal 
blessedness.  If  any  one  could  have  witnessed  the 
grateful  welcome  with  which,  in  many  a  subsequent 
year,  Mr.  Codman  was  ever  received  at  London- 
derry, it  might  awaken  in  his  heart  the  desire  of 
gaining  the  same  inestimable  reward  of  an  act  of 
kindness. 

After  visiting  this  afflicted  family  in  the  month 
of  May,  Mr.  Codman,  with  his  friend,  prosecuted 
his  journey  from  Londonderry  to  Windsor,  Vt.,  and 
Dartmouth  College.  At  Windsor,  he  met  with  a 
number  of  his  highly  esteemed  Boston  friends, 
who  were  called  thither  by  reason  of  the  ordi- 
nation of  the  Rev.  Bancroft  Fowler.  Among 
them  were  Rev.  Dr.  Eckley,  Rev.  Mr.  Channing, 


MEMOIR   OF   DR.   CODMAN.  27 

and  Mr.  Josiah  Salisbury,  whose   sister  resided  in 
Windsor. 

The  candidate  was  minutely  examined,  for  as  yet 
it  was  deemed  important  that  the  forms  of  exami- 
nation should  be  rigidly  observed,  though  a  wider 
latitude  of  faith  was  tolerated ;  and  it  was  not 
required  of  the  candidate  that  he  should  be  so 
explicit,  on  some  mysterious  points  of  Christian 
faith,  as  was  soon  afterwards  found  to  be  necessary. 
Mr.  Channing  made  the  introductory  prayer.  Dr. 
Burton,  of  Thetford,  preached.  Mr.  Rowell,  of 
Cornish,  gave  the  right  hand  of  fellowship,  and  Dr. 
Burroughs,  of  Hanover,  a  plain,  unpolished,  honest 
old  gentleman,  presided  and  gave  the  charge.  Dr. 
Burton  is  known  as  the  supporter  of  the  Taste 
Scheme  in  theology,  retaining  the  old  and  correct 
division  of  the  mental  faculties,  the  intellect,  the 
affections,  and  the  will.  He  maintained,  that  all 
holiness  consists  in  a  good  taste,  or  a  right  state 
of  the  affections ;  and  that  volitions  have  no  moral 
quality,  except  as  indicating  the  state  of  the  heart. 
As  we  are  depraved  beings,  it  is  necessary,  in  order 
to  holiness,  that  a  new  taste  be  implanted  by  divine 
grace  ;  a  benevolent,  holy  disposition,  which  finds 
happiness  in  imparting  happiness.  At  a  subse- 
quent  period   he    published    a   volume   of  JEssays> 


28  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

in   which    he   unfolded   and   vindicated   his   moral 
theory. 

From  the  beautiful  village  of  Windsor,  Mr.  Cod- 
man  journeyed  to  Hanover,  where  he  was  received 
by  President  Wheelock,  into  a  family  afterwards 
peculiarly  endeared  to  the  waiter.  At  this  time 
there  was  one  wooden  college-building  and  a  small 
chapel,  near  which  was  the  pleasant  mansion  of 
the  President.  The  next  Sabbath  w^as  spent  by 
Mr.  Codman  and  his  friend  at  Londonderry  ;  and 
they  had  the  pleasure  of  listening  to  the  preaching 
of  President  McKeen,  a  native  of  Londonderry, 
and  the  first  occupant  of  the  presidential  chair  of 
Bowdoin  College. 

As  illustrative  of  the  character  of  Mr.  Codman, 
it  may  not  be  improper  for  the  writer  here  to  intro- 
duce an  extract  from  his  own  journal,  of  May  31st : 
**  How  great  is  the  goodness  of  God  in  giving  me 
such  a  friend  as  John  Codman !  He  has  pre- 
sented me  with  an  interleaved  Bible,  Cruden's 
Concordance,  and  Brown's  Dictionary  of  the  Bible. 
He  has  requested  me  to  consider  his  property  as 
my  own.  '  God,'  said  he  to  me,  '  has  blessed  me 
in  giving  me  more  money  than  I  want  to  use ;  you 
have  but  two  hundred  dollars  a  year ;  you  cannot 
live  upon  it ;  let  my  money  be  your  own.'     Never 


MEMOIR  OF  DR.   CODMAN.  29 

have  I  known  a  friendship  so  pure  and  fervent. 
May  God  reward  him  ;  and  may  our  friendship, 
which  is  founded  on  the  religion  of  Jesus,  be  last- 
ing as  eternity." 

At  the  time  he  offered  me  Cruden,  I  hesitated  in 
receiving  it,  saying  that  he  conferred  obligations 
which  I  could  never  repay.  He  wrote  on  a  piece 
of  paper  as  follows  :— "  I  am  surprised  to  hear  you 
speak  of  the  reception  of  favors  which  cannot  be 
repaid.  If  I  have  ever  conferred  a  favor  upon  you, 
it  has  been  amply  and  fully  repaid.  I  enjoy,  what 
is  to  me  of  infinitely  more  value  than  silver  or  gold, 
the  pleasure  of  your  society,  and,  I  must  hope,  of 
your  friendship.  Let  me,  I  beseech  you,  return 
a  little  of  the  debt,  by  sharing  together  what  a 
merciful  God  has  been  pleased  to  give  me.  It 
would  be  my  highest  happiness,  if  we  were  so 
intimately  united  as  to  supersede  all  those  ideas  of 
obligation  ;  that  we  were  one  in  heart,  and  life,  and 
in  all  our  interests." 


30  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 


CHAPTER  III. 

HIS  STUDIES  AVITII  EEV.  HENRY  WAEE  —  DIFFICULTIES  OF  HIS  SOCIAL 
POSITION  —  VOYAGE  TO  ENGLAND  — HIS  MORAL  INDEPENDENCE  AND 
THE  INFLUENCE  OF  RELIGION  UPON  HIS  LIFE. 

At  this  period,  1805,  there  was  no  public  semi- 
nary, with  teachers  devoted  to  the  instruction  of 
students  in  theology ;  although  some  young  men, 
resident  at  Cambridge,  were  assisted  by  the  pro- 
fessor of  theology  in  their  pursuits.  The  candidates 
for  the  ministry  in  general  availed  themselves  of  the 
teachings  and  the  libraries  of  private  clergymen  ; 
and  it  must  be  said,  to  the  honor  of  those  ministers, 
that  they  devoted  much  time  and  labor  to  qualify 
those  under  their  care  for  the  sacred  office.  It  was 
considered  a  part  of  ministerial  duty,  to  receive  and 
educate  those  young  men  who  desired  to  consecrate 
themselves  to  the  service  of  Christ  and  the  church. 
As  the  fruits  of  their  self-denying  labors,  many 
clergymen  of  great  eminence  and  piety  were  thus 
theologically  educated,  and  became  the  means  of 
extensive  good  to  the  community  and  the  world. 


MEMOIR   OF  DR.  CODMAN.  31 

Accordingly,  we  find  Mr.  Codman  pursuing  his 
studies  with  Rev.  Henrj  Ware,  then  of  Hingham. 
The  decline  in  matters  of  religious  faith,  and  of 
Christian  feeling  and  practice,  which  for  some 
years  had  been  noticed,  was  now  disclosing  a  strong 
opposition  to  Calvinistic  theology.  Mr.  Codman 
was  surrounded  by  his  own  family  connections,  and 
by  the  many  friends  of  his  early  youth,  who  be- 
longed to  the  *'  liberal  party,"  so  called,  and  was 
thus  brought  under  the  full  influence  of  the  new 
opinions.  These  opinions  had  not  then  taken  the 
name  of  Unitarianism,  but  their  advocates  were 
men  of  the  world,  greatly  opposed  to  the  excite- 
ment of  religious  feelings,  which  had  in  them  any- 
thing of  anxiety  for  the  soul,  or  any  deep  solicitude 
for  the  salvation  of  others.  The  doctrines  of  grace, 
if  preached  at  all,  were  only  alluded  to  in  Scripture 
language,  or  in  terms  so  general,  or  so  ambiguous, 
as  to  make  little  or  no  impression.  Men  were 
exceedingly  afraid  of  being  righteous  overmuch  ; 
hence  there  were  few  prayer  meetings,  very  little 
religious  conference,  and  Sabbath  evening  services 
were  by  many  considered  reproachful  or  unneces- 
sary. Happily  for  Mr.  Codman,  he  resolved  to  take 
his  opinion,  in  matters  of  such  infinite  moment, 
from   the   word   of   God.      Not    "conferring   with 


32  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

flesh  and  blood,"  in  that  noble  independence  for 
which  his  whole  life  was  remarkable,  he  determined 
to  "  choose  affliction  with  the  people  of  God,"  and 
to  enlist  the  ardor  of  his  youth,  and  the  influence 
of  wealth  and  station,  and  all  the  powers  of  his 
mind,  to  promote  a  gospel,  which  was  despised  and 
rejected  of  men.  He  believed  it  to  be  the  gospel 
of  the  Son  of  God.  In  his  own  joyful  experience, 
he  had  found  that  divine  peace  which  no  other 
gospel  could  give  ;  and  neither  the  pride  of  the 
world,  nor  the  accomplishments  of  life,  nor  the  love 
of  friends,  nor  any  or  all  the  combined  and  power- 
ful influences  which  were  brought  to  bear  upon  his 
mind,  could  shake  his  high  and  holy  resolution. 
He  was  ready  to  "  count  all  things  but  loss  for  the 
excellency  of  the  knowledge  of  Christ  Jesus  his 
Lord  ; "  and  in  the  prayer  meeting,  the  conference 
room,  and  private  devotional  duties,  he  found  his 
supreme  satisfaction  and  never-failing  springs  of 
delight.  Far  from  being  bigoted  or  misanthropic, 
a  more  cheerful  Christian  was  rarely  seen.  He 
was  most  remarkable,  even  at  this  early  period,  for 
a  sound  judgment  and  practical  wisdom  ;  and  he 
united  the  accomplishments  of  the  gentleman  with 
the  meekness  and  sincerity  of  the  Christian,  in 
such   a   manner   as  to  call  forth  the  respect   and 


MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN.  33 

admiration  of  those  who  were  most  opposed  to  his 
religious  faith. 

Few  men,  at  this  day,  can  have  any  conception 
of  the  embarrassments  and  trials  which  Mr.  Cod- 
man  endured,  as  the  fruit  of  his  religious  convic- 
tions. 

Among  his  early  acquaintances  and  friends  were 
two  young  men,  of  great  eminence  as  scholars  and 
of  most  attractive  eloquence  as  preachers,  —  Mr. 
Channing,  who  was  ordained  in  Boston,  in  1803, 
and  Mr.  Buckminster,  who  was  ordained  in  1805, 
and  who  died  in  about  ^\q  years  afterwards.  Mr. 
Channing  was  the  beloved  minister  of  Mr.  Cod- 
man's  mother-in-law.  In  his  preaching  there  was 
a  pious  fervor,  in  connection  with  literary  excel- 
lence, which  rendered  it  extremely  interesting.  He 
lived  to  be  the  head  of  the  whole  party  in  America, 
which,  though  very  diverse  in  their  views  concern- 
ing Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  is  classed  together 
as  one  by  the  title  of  Unitarian. 

Mr.  Channing  was  by  some  years  the  senior  of 
Mr.  Codman.  At  this  time,  the  tendencies  of  his 
mind  to  the  evangelical  faith  were  undoubtedly 
strong.  It  was  his  practice  to  dine,  on  every  Sat- 
urday, with  the  family  of  Mrs.  Codman  ;  and  he 
therefore  became  familiar  with  Mr.  Codman,  whom 


/ 


34  MEMOIR  OF   DR.   CODMAN. 

he  always  regarded  with  esteem  and  affection  ;  and 
although,  in  after  years,  their  views  of  Christian 
doctrine  placed  them  in  widely  different  relations, 
yet  their  mutual  friendship  and  regard  were  never 
interrupted.  As  an  evidence  of  the  strong  evan- 
gelical feelings  of  Mr.  Channing  at  this  period,  we 
would  state  that,  while  Mr.  Codman  was  pursuing 
his  studies  with  Dr.  Ware,  he  was  spending  a  few 
days  at  home,  on  one  of  which  Mr.  Channing  dined 
with  the  family.  After  dinner,  he  requested  Mr. 
Codman  to  ride  with  him  a  few  miles,  and,  during 
the  ride,  after  much  serious  conversation,  he  ex- 
pressed his  fears  that  the  religious  speculations  of 
the  times  were  leading  many  astray  ;  and  he  ear- 
nestly desired  that  his  young  friend  might  guard 
his  mind  from  the  prevailing  errors,  and  that,  by  a 
prayerful  study  of  the  word  of  God  and  an  implicit 
faith  in  its  teachings,  he  might  be  prepared  for  the 
solemn  duties  of  the  ministry.  Mr.  Channing  was 
not,  at  this  time,  ready  to  give  up  the  evangelical 
doctrines  ;  doubtless  they  were  more  or  less  modi- 
fied in  his  view  ;  but  yet  they  exerted  a  powerful 
influence  over  his  preaching  and  his  life.  Nor  is 
it  believed  that  this  influence  was  wholly  destroyed, 
in  any  stage  of  his  subsequent  departures  from  the 
faith  of  the  New  England  churches. 


MEMOIR  OF  DE.  CODMAN.  35 

We  have  already  seen  the  active  operation  of 
divine  grace  upon  Mr.  Codman's  mind.  Under  all 
the  peculiarities  of  his  situation,  far  more  unfriendly 
to  the  growth  of  piety  than  if  his  position  in  life 
had  been  obscure,  we  find  him  advancing  in  all  the 
graces  of  the  Christian  ;  but  a  higher  maturity  was 
soon  after  attained,  in  circumstances  more  congenial 
to  his  Christian  advancement.  In  the  belief  that 
his  theological  studies  could  be  pursued  with  greater 
benefit  in  Scotland,  he  resolved  to  avail  himself  of 
the  advantages  which  the  older  institutions  of  that 
country  afforded.  Accordingly,  he  embarked  for 
Liverpool  in  the  brig  Superb,  Captain  Bosworth, 
and  sailed  from  Boston  on  Tuesday,  July  30,  1805. 
His  fellow  passengers  were,  a  gentleman  of  Boston 
and  his  wife,  and  two  young  ladies. 

The  following  are  extracts  from  his  journal  : 

Sunday  Night,  August  4. — I  have  had  to  lament  one  of 
God's  holy  days  spent  in  a  very  indiflferent  manner,  being  very 
sick  and  unable  to  fix  my  mind  on  devotional  subjects. 

Tuesday,  August  6. — This  morning,  read  to  the  ladies  on 
deck  an  excellent  little  pamphlet  by  Andrew  Fuller,  on  the 
question,  "What  shall  I  do  to  be  saved?"  Read  two  of 
Smalley's  Sermons,  and  spent  a  very  pleasant  afternoon  on  deck. 
The  evening  was  uncommonly  fine,  and  Mr.  T.  obliged  us  with 
some  excellent  songs. 

Wednesday,  August  7. — In  the  afternoon,  read  to  the  ladies 


36  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

several  pieces  from  the  Assembly's  Missionary  Magazine,  and 
from  the  Panoplist. 

Sunday,  August  11. — Fine  weather  and  fair  winds.  On 
this  day,  when  thousands  are  uniting  throughout  the  world  in 
praising  God,  I  sensibly  felt  the  deprivation  of  public  worship. 
There  is  an  inexpressible  pleasure  in  uniting  with  the  congrega- 
tion of  the  people  in  keeping  holy  day,  of  which  those  who  are 
not  at  a  distance  from  the  house  of  God  cannot  conceive.  In  the 
morning  read  some  of  Sm alley's  Sermons,  and  in  the  afternoon 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  T.,  the  Misses  E.,  and  Captain  B.,  assembled  in 
the  cabin  to  attend  my  imperfect  services.  After  prayer,  read- 
ing of  the  Scriptures  and  singing,  I  delivered  a  discourse  from 
Isaiah  xli.  10.  I  hope  and  pray,  that  the  Lord  will  assist  my 
weak  endeavors,  and  that  these  exercises  may  be  beneficial  to 
the  souls  of  my  hearers.  I  have  much  to  bewail  and  lament 
before  God,  my  many  and  aggravated  sins,  particularly  my  cold- 
ness and  indifference  to  things  spiritual,  during  my  passage  thus 
far.  The  delightful  exercise  of  prayer  has  in  a  great  measure 
abated,  and  I  am  too  inclined  to  relapse  into  the  habits  of  my 
companions.  How  often  and  how  deeply  have  I  regretted  the 
absence  of  those  dear  friends,  whose  eminent  piety  and  religious 
attainments  served  to  animate  my  endeavors  and  strengthen  my 
Christian  zeal ;  and  more  especially  do  I  feel  the  absence  of 
one  who  has  so  often  accompanied  me  to  a  throne  of  grace, 
with  whom  I  have  spent  so  many  agreeable  hours,  and  to  whom, 
under  God,  I  owe  much  spiritual  edification.  May  his  life, 
health,  and  usefulness,  be  ever  precious  in  the  sight  of  the  Most 
High. 

Sunday,  August  18. — I  pray  God  not  to  take  his  Holy  Spirit 
from  me,  nor  to  suffer  me  to  be  led  away  by  the  temptations  of 
the  great  world  upon  which  I  am  about  to  enter.  In  the  morn- 
ing, read  to  the  ladies  a  sermon  from  2  Kings  v.  13 ;  and  in 
the  afternoon,  my  usual  auditors  being  assembled  in  the  cabin, 


MEMOIR   OF  DR.   CODMAN.  37 

I  again  performed  divine  service.  My  discourse  was  from 
1  Corinthians  xi.  28. 

Sunday,  August  25. — To  our  great  joy,  we  discovered  the 
Irish  coast.  My  usual  hearers  being  assembled  in  the  cabin, 
after  having  returned  thanks  to  God  for  his  kind  care  and  pro- 
tection during  the  voyage,  I  delivered  a  sermon  from  Romans  i. 
20,  in  which,  it  being  the  last  Sabbath  we  shall  probably  spend 
together,  I  took  notice  of  our  situation,  in  an  occasional  address 
to  my  hearers.  God  grant,  if  there  be  any  thing  of  good  in  my 
sermons,  they  may  make  a  serious  impression  on  the  hearts  of 
those  who  have  heard  me. 

Tuesday,  August  27. — An  English  man-of-war,  of  thirty- 
two  guns,  boarded  us  with  three  or  four  hardy  looking  seamen, 
and  one  haughty,  insolent  officer,  who,  after  inquiring  whence 
we  came  and  who  we  were,  called  for  our  men  ;  and  after  exam- 
ining their  protections,  took  a  young  man  from  us,  who  had  the 
appearance  of  an  Irishman,  but  with  a  regular  American  pro- 
tection. Poor  fellow !  almost  in  sight  of  port  and  perhaps  of 
friends,  to  be  forced  on  board  a  man-of-war,  subjected  to  the 
tyrannical  insolence  of  his  superiors.  Such  are  the  tyrants  of 
the  ocean  !  How  gratefCil  ought  I  to  be  to  Almighty  God,  for 
preserving  me  from  the  situation  of  the  Irish  lad !  How  un- 
searchable are  his  ways,  that  one  should  be  taken,  and  another 
left ! 

Wednesday,  August  28. — Arrived  at  Liverpool.  Praised 
be  God,  that  I  can  now  close  my  journal  under  such  favorable 
circumstances, — a  pleasant  passage  of  twenty-eight  days  and 
good  health.  This  evening,  thanks  to  the  Giver  of  every  good 
and  perfect  gift,  I  enjoyed  some  little  freedom  in  prayer,  and 
was  enabled  to  pour  out  my  soul  in  thankful  adoration  to  the 
Preserver  of  mankind  for  his  sparing  mercy  in  bringing  me  safe 
to  this  foreign  land.  Oh,  may  I  never  be  unmindful  of  the  God 
of  my  salvation. 


38  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

These  extracts  from  Mr.  Codman's  journal  give 
us  a  pleasing  idea  of  his  religious  disposition  and 
feelings,  and  of  his  Christian  courage.  A  joung 
man,  a  student  in  theology  but  not  a  licensed 
preacher,  amidst  the  discomforts  of  his  first  voyage, 
with  a  small  company,  not  sympathizing  with  his 
views  and  emotions,  yet,  in  his  zeal  for  the  glory 
of  God  and  their  spiritual  benefit,  he  undertakes 
to  be  their  religious  teacher  and  persuade  them  to 
devote  the  Sabbath  to  religious  services.  Of  the 
two  men  of  this  company,  one  was  much  opposed 
to  Trinitarians  and  Calvinists,  and  the  other  was 
a  disbeliever  in  any  revelation  to  man  from  the 
Supreme  Ruler  of  the  universe.  Of  the  latter,  Mr. 
Codman  said,  "  A  man,  so  benevolent  and  kind, 
as  he  appears  to  be,  and  yet  a  stranger  to  Jesus 
Christ,  is  much  to  be  pitied.  1  had  a  very  inter- 
esting conversation  with  him,  in  which  I  endeav- 
ored, to  the  best  of  my  ability,  to  explain  to  him 
the  scheme  of  salvation  through  a  crucified  Saviour. 
He  heard  me  with  attention,  and  seemed  to  be 
interested  in  the  conversation." 

It  is  not  thus  that  the  men  of  the  world  occupy 
their  time  and  talents.  It  is  sufficient,  in  their 
view,  to  pursue  the  gains  and  to  enjoy  the  plea- 
sures  and   honors   which   the   world  ofifers.     How 


MEMOIR   OF   DR.   CODMAN.  39 

Striking  is  the  contrast  between  their  pursuits  and 
the  noble  aims  of  this  young  servant  of  Christ ! 
For  them^  there  is  no  hour  of  secret  prayer,  no  com- 
munion with  God,  no  lively  apprehension  of  those 
eternal  realities  upon  which  they  must  soon  enter. 
For  him^  the  morning  and  evening  altar  are  the 
symbols  of  that  high  fellowship,  which  he  hopes  to 
enjoy  hereafter  with  his  adored  Redeemer.  For 
liim^  no  scene  of  pleasure  has  any  attractions,  which 
does  not  comprehend  some  foretaste  of  those  joys 
which  *'  eye  hath  not  seen  nor  ear  heard."  His 
Bible,  his  Sabbath,  the  conversion  of  immortal 
souls,  are  the  objects  dearest  to  his  heart ;  and, 
though  surrounded  by  the  wealth  and  flattery  of  the 
world,  he  remains  uncorrupted  and  undeceived. 
Pressing  forward  in  the  path  of  duty,  he  gives  his 
example,  and  all  his  energies,  to  that  cause  which, 
though  it  be  *' a  stumbling-block  and  foolishness" 
to  the  world,  is,  to  them  that  believe,  "  the  power 
of  God  and  the  wisdom  of  God." 

It  is  exceedingly  rare,  that  the  religion  of  the 
cross  achieves  its  noblest  victories  amid  the  scenes 
of  uninterrupted  prosperity.  Yet  some  such  exam- 
ples are  found  ;  and,  in  the  subject  of  this  Memoir, 
we  have  one  which  invites  the  most  serious  con- 
templation  of  those   who   enjoy   in    profusion    the 


40  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

blessings  of  Providence.  It  is  a  picture  of  moral 
beauty,  in  which  we  may  see  the  divine  excellence 
of  the  Christian  graces,  and  their  superiority  to  all 
the  motives  which  govern  the  worldly  and  unre- 
newed mind.  It  was  not  the  incapacity  of  tasting 
earthly  pleasures  that  turned  him  to  God ;  it  was 
no  disgust  with  the  world  ;  it  was  no  love  of  singu- 
larity, no  eccentric  action  of  disordered  sensibilities; 
but  it  was  the  calm  decision  of  a  well-balanced 
mind,  that,  under  the  guidance  of  the  gracious 
Spirit,  enabled  him  to  triumph  over  the  snares  of 
youth  and  the  blandishments  of  the  world.  It  w^as 
from  the  survey  of  the  interests  and  of  the  future 
destiny  of  the  soul,  that  he  derived  the  mighty 
power  of  reducing  the  prominent  and  gaudy  objects 
of  time  to  their  own  littleness,  and  of  investing 
with  dignity  and  unappreciable  worth  the  realities 
of  eternity. 


MEMOIR  OF  DE.   CODMAN.  41 


CHAPTER  IV. 

LIVERPOOL  AND  LONDON  —  PREACHING  OF  JOHN  NEWTON  —  CHRISTIAN 
FRIENDS  IN  LONDON  — VARIOUS  PREACHERS  —  EDINBURGH  —  STUDIES 
AND  LECTURES  — DRS.  HOPE  AND  HUNTER  —  DUGALD  STEWART  — 
SCOTCH  "BAPTISTS"  AND  "  INDEPENDENTS "  — RELIGIOUS  REFLEC- 
TIONS. 

It  was  in  the  spirit  of  constant  and  fervent 
prayer,  that  Mr.  Codman  entered  upon  the  new 
and  interesting  scenes  to  which  he  was  now  intro- 
duced. He  was  perfectly  aware  of  the  powerful 
temptations  in  his  path,  and  he  deeply  felt  the  need 
of  restraining  and  supporting  grace.  He  did  not 
intend  to  turn  away  from  those  various  objects, 
which  are  so  worthy  of  the  attention  and  call  forth 
the  admiration  of  men  of  taste  and  genius,  but  he 
resolved  that  everything  should  be  subordinate  to 
the  higher  purposes  of  his  mind.  He  knew  that 
the  holy  duties,  to  which  he  had  consecrated  his 
life,  demanded  his  first  and  supreme  attention  ;  and 
it  was  to  qualify  himself  for  the  most  extensive 
usefulness,  and  not  for  personal  gratification,  that 
he  had  sought  the  land  of  his  ancestors. 


42  MEMOIR   OF  DR.   CODMAN. 

Upon  his  arrival  at  Liverpool,  he  therefore  eagerly 
repaired  to  several  places  of  public  worship  ;  but  in 
some  of  the  pulpits  of  that  city  he  did  not  find 
the  dignity  and  decorum,  to  which  he  had  been 
accustomed  in  his  native  country.  In  fact,  he  was 
often  disgusted  with  the  familiarity,  vulgarity  and 
levity  of  some  preachers,  which  led  him  to  say, 
*'  God  grant,  if  he  ever  permits  me  to  preach  the 
everlasting  gospel,  he  will  restrain  me  from  all 
appearance  of  levity."  While  in  Liverpool,  he 
heard  Mr.  Yates,  the  celebrated  antagonist  of  Ward- 
law,  and  in  his  journal  says  of  him,  "  Mr.  Yates  is 
a  pleasing  man,  but  he  appears  to  be  incorrect  in 
religious  sentiment ;  probably  of  Socinian  views. 
His  preaching,  although  it  may  gratify  the  man  of 
taste,  is  not  calculated  to  afford  sustenance  to  the 
hungry  soul."  The  School  for  the  Blind,  in  Liv- 
erpool, was  an  object  of  especial  interest.  He  was 
particularly  gratified  with  its  highly  religious  aspect; 
and,  on  an  occasion  for  catechetical  exercises,  he 
listened  with  pleasure  to  recitations  from  the  Cate- 
chism by  seventy-five  members  of  the  school,  of 
both  sexes,  and  of  widely  different  ages. 

After  a  solitary  ride  of  two  nights,  in  the  mail 
coach,  he  reached  London,  and  had  the  pleasure  of 
meeting  his  old  friends  and  relatives,  John  Lowell, 


MEMOIR   OF   DR.   CODMAN.  43 

Esq.  and  family,  of  Boston.  He  took  lodgings  in 
Norfolk  Street,  Strand,  which  was  then  the  Amer- 
ican rendezvous  of  London,  and  gave  him  oppor- 
tunity to  hear  often  from  his  friends  at  home. 

In  his  journal  of  September  8,  he  writes  as  fol- 
lows : 

This  was  another  of  the  days  of  the  Son  of  Man,  and  I  hoped 
at  last  to  hear  some  serious,  evangelical  preaching.  Called  on 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bromfield,  whom  I  found  waiting  to  accompany 
me  to  church.  To  me,  the  occasion  was  one  of  deep  interest. 
I  expected  to  hear  the  excellent  John  Newton,  but  my  friends 
thought  it  doubtful  whether  he  would  preach.  On  entering  the 
church,  we  were  agreeably  surprised  by  seeing  his  venerable 
form  in  the  sacred  desk.  His  interesting  life,  his  uncommon 
piety,  his  remarkable  conversion,  and  his  friendship  for  Cowper, 
had  created  an  indescribable  interest  in  my  mind.  I  had  fre- 
quently and  most  ardently  desired  to  see  that  man  of  God. 
The  wish  was  at  last  accomplished.  His  figure  was  rather 
short,  and  he  wore  a  dark  wig  ;  his  countenance  was  strongly 
marked,  and  his  features  were  bold  and  commanding.  He  had 
his  servant  with  him,  in  the  pulpit,  to  name  his  text ;  for  his 
memory  generally  failed  him  in  that  particular. 

After  the  text  was  given,  which  was  from  Acts  xxvi.  28, 
*'  Almost  thou  persuadest  me  to  be  a  Christian,"  he  repeated  it, 
and,  leaning  over  the  pulpit,  began  his  sermon.  It  was  not  so 
connected  as  might  have  been  expected  from  him  in  early  life  ; 
but  it  was  a  train  of  fatherly  counsels  and  good  sayings,  so  that 
the  most  abandoned  sinner  might  have  left  the  church  with  the 
text  on  his  lips,  and  deeply  fastened  in  his  memory.  Every 
now  and  then  the  good  man  would  hesitate  and  falter,  and  I 


44  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

was  in  great  anxiety  for  him,  lest  he  should  not  be  able  to  pro- 
ceed ;  but  he  recovered  himself  and  spoke  with  considerable 
facility.  Upon  the  whole,  he  is  a  wonderful  man  and  a  most 
impressive  preacher,  considering  he  is  upwards  of  eighty  years 
of  age. 

After  dinner,  I  went  to  hear  Mr.  Burder,  author  of  "  Village 
Sermons,"  who  preaches  in  a  small  chapel  in  Feather  Lane. 
His  sermon  was  pious  and  his  manner  impressive. 

September  11. — Dined  with  Mr.  Henry  Bromfield.  He  is 
one  of  the  most  agreeable  and  best  Americans  I  have  yet 
met.  He  retains  much  of  the  manners  of  New  England,  is  an 
excellent  merchant,  and  a  very  pious  man.  At  dinner,  I  met 
with  two  of  my  countrymen,  Mr.  Otis,  and  Mr.  James  Everett, 
an  old  friend  and  class-mate,  who  came  to  England  on  busi- 
ness last  fall,  and  had  been  confined  by  sickness  all  winter  in 
London. 

September  12. — This  day  I  was  engaged  to  dine" with  Mr. 
Robert  G.  Steele,  of  the  house  of  Chalmers  and  Cowie  ;  and, 
as  Mr.  Burder  lived  in  Colebrook  Row,  Islington,  I  called  there 
on  my  way  to  Mr.  Steele's,  with  a  letter  of  introduction  from 
Dr.  Morse.  I  was  received  with  great  kindness  by  this  truly 
excellent  man,  and  found  him  preparing  to  go  to  Mr.  Steele's  to 
dinner.  As  we  were  conversing,  a  Mr.  Frey,  a  German  Jew, 
recently  converted  to  Christianity,  came  in.  I  was  much 
pleased  in  seeing  this  worthy  man.  His  preaching  has  been 
attended  with  great  success  among  his  countrymen  in  this  city. 
We  all  went  together  to  Mr.  Steele's,  and  I  found  one  of  the 
best  and  most  agreeable  families  I  had  ever  been  acquainted 
with.  It  consisted  of  Mr.  Steele,  (Mrs.  Steele  being  absent,) 
his  mother  and  sister,  and  three  very  interesting  children.  Sev- 
eral ladies  were  there,  and  also  Mr.  Lewis,  pastor  of  a  chapel  in 
Islington,  of  which  Mr.  Cowie  is  the  great  support  and  patron. 


MEMOIR   OF   DR.   CODMAN.  45 

Rev.  Mr.  Bogue,  of  Gosport,  was  also  there,  and  the  conversa- 
tion turned  on  my  excellent  friend,  Mr.  Allen,*  who  gave  me 
the  letter  to  Mr.  Cowie,  and  to  whom  I  shall  always  feel  under 
the  greatest  obligation  for  introducing  me  to  this  society. 

September  14. — Dined  with  Mrs.  Gordon,  at  Islington.  It 
being  a  most  delightful  morning,  I  walked  thither  over  the  City 
Road.  It  is  very  large,  wide  and  beautiful,  bordered,  as  is 
usual  in  England,  with  hedges.  Mrs.  Gordon  lives  in  a  very 
neat  little  house,  quite  in  the  country,  and  is  a  native  of  Charles- 
town,  near  Boston.  She  appears  to  be  a  very  pious  lady,  and 
treated  me  with  great  affection  and  kindness.  In  the  evening,  I 
heard  Mr.  Frey  preach  an  excellent  discourse  on  the  subject  of 
the  Brazen  Serpent.  There  were  many  Jews  present,  although 
at  the  risk  of  their  lives.  I  pray  God  that  he  may  be  abundantly 
useful  to  his  countrymen.  After  service,  several  young  Jews 
called  on  him  ;  and  we  had  some  very  interesting  conversation 
on  the  state  of  their  souls. 

In  a  letter  to  his  friend,  dated  at  Edinburgh, 
November  1,  1805,  Mr.  Codman  sajs : 

I  have  now  to  inform  you  that,  at  Cambridge,  I  heard  Mr. 
Hall,  so  justly  admired  for  his  sermon  on  "Infidelity,"  at  Oxford  ; 
Mr.  Hinton,  a  celebrated  and  most  excellent  man  ;  and,  subse- 
quently, at  a  Baptist  ordination.  Dr.  Ryland,  and  our  much 
admired  Andrew  Fuller.  I  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  Mr. 
Fuller,  and  of  receiving  a  warm  invitation  to  visit  him.  The 
Baptists  of  this  country  are  highly  intelligent  and  respectable, 
and  they  unite  with  the  most  evangelical  sentiments  the  true 
spirit  of  charity.  I  have  had  the  pleasure  of  communing  with  a 
Baptist  church,  and  with  the  pious  of  all  denominations. 

*  Rev.  Thomas  Allen,  of  Pittsfield. 


46  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

Cambridge  is  a  very  inferior  town  ;  Oxford,  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  in  Europe,  remarkable  for  the  elegance  of  its  Gothic 
buildings  and  the  best  collection  of  paintings  in  England.  I 
spent  ten  days  in  that  delightful  place,  and  left  it  unsatisfied. 
I  have  likewise  visited  the  manufactories  at  Birmingham  and 
Manchester,  and  also  Bristol,  where  I  have  an  uncle  ;  and  have 
seen  the  romantic  lakes  of  Cumberland  and  Westmoreland. 

In  comparing  our  government  with  this,  perhaps  it  may  be 
dangerous  to  hazard  many  observations  across  the  Atlantic. 
Of  this,  be  assured  ;  that  more  federalists  return  republicans, 
than  the  reverse.  There  are  twenty  Americans  in  Edinburgh, 
all  republicans.  John  Gorham,  whom  you  may  remember  at 
college,  is  now  here.  He  has  visited  England  and  France,  and  is 
more  and  more  satisfied  of  the  policy  and  good  sense  of  our 
government,  in  their  pacific  measures.  These  sentiments,  you 
know,  are  not  in  compliment  to  you,  but  are  the  result  of  the 
little  observation  I  have  made  since  I  have  been  here.  So 
much  for  politics.  Perhaps  it  is  best  for  ministers  not  to  meddle 
with  them  ;  but  no  true  American  can  help  rejoicing  when  he 
considers  the  blesssings  of  his  government,  and  dreading  the 
exertions  of  those,  who  attempt  an  imitation  of  a  system  of 
which  they  do  not  know  the  evils. 

I  arrived  here  only  last  week,  and  the  lectures  have  not  yet 
commenced.  There  are  nearly  a  thousand  medical  students. 
I  shall  attend  the  Professor  of  Divinity,  and  the  lectures  on 
Church  History  and  Hebrew ;  also,  Dugald  Stewart's  lectures 
on  Moral  Philosophy,  and  the  lectures  on  Chemistry,  which  are 
very  excellent. 

The  mode  of  living,  in  this  country,  is  entirely  different  from 
that  in  America.  We  find  our  own  provisions,  and  breakfast 
and  dine  in  each  other's  rooms.  Four  o'clock  is  the  hour  of 
dining,  fixed  by  the  University,  it  being  the  only  one  in  which 
there  is  not  a  lecture. 


MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN.  47 

The  following  are  extracts  from  his  journal : 

Edinburgh,  January  1,  1806. — Another  year  is  past  without 
much  improvement ;  oh,  may  the  ensuing  one  be  marked  with 
greater  progress  in  knowledge,  virtue,  and  holiness.  The 
Scotch  have  a  singular  custom  of  ushering  in  the  new  year. 
Between  twelve  and  one  o'clock  this  morning,  we  were  aroused 
by  shouts  of  festivity  and  rejoicing.  The  people  crowd  the 
streets,  with  liquors  of  various  kinds,  which  are  freely  dis- 
tributed. This  morning  I  walked  with  Mr.  Ross,  Mr.  Silliman,* 
and  Dr.  Gorham.  After  visiting  Parliament  House  and  the 
Courts  of  Judicature,  we  proceeded  to  Edinburgh  Castle,  appa- 
rently one  of  the  most  impregnable  fortresses  in  the  world.  It  is 
situated  at  the  west  end  of  Edinburgh,  and  commands  a  most 
delightful  view.  On  the  south  are  seen  the  meadows,  Arthur's 
Seat,  Salisbury  Crag,  and  a  beautiful  intervale,  bounded  by 
majestic  hills,  rising  in  sublime  confusion  one  upon  another. 
On  the  north,  is  a  most  enchanting  view  of  the  new  town  and 
the  Frith,  with  ships  at  anchor,  and  mountains  on  the  opposite 
side  covered  with  snow.  On  the  east,  is  a  view  of  the  old  town, 
the  Tolbooth,  and  other  churches. 

January  2,  1806. — ^This  day  the  lectures  commenced.  Dr. 
Hope,  it  is  said,  gives  one  of  the  best  courses  on  Chemistry. 
His  manner  is  rather  stiff  and  pompous,  and  his  style  diffuse  and 
tautological.  He  is  chiefly  remarkable  for  the  neatness  of  his 
experiments.  Dr.  Hunter  is  the  Professor  of  Divinity.  He  is 
remarkable  for  his  uncommon  piety  and  a  strict  adherence  "  to 
the  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints,"  united  with  great  charity 
and  benevolence  towards  those  who  differ  from  him  in  senti- 
ment. As  a  professor,  he  is  not  so  much  distinguished  for  his 
talents  as  for  fervent  zeal,  pious  simplicity,  and  Christian  liber- 

*  Now  Professor  Silliman,  of  Yale  College. 


48  MEMOIR  OF   DR.  CODMAN. 

ality.  On  Mondays,  he  expounds  a  portion  of  the  Epistles  ; 
occasionally,  he  examines  the  class ;  and  Friday  is  devoted  to 
the  purpose  of  reading  discourses.  Dr.  Hunter  gives  out  the 
subjects,  which  are  critical,  practical,  or  for  lectures.  Each 
student,  who  reads  a  discourse,  makes  one  or  two  prayers. 
Critical  observations  are  made  by  the  professor  and  students,  I 
presume  there  are  upwards  of  eighty  students.  An  attendance 
on  this  course,  the  Hebrew  and  Church  History  classes,  together 
with  those  on  Natural  and  Moral  Philosophy,  and  the  dead 
languages,  is  requisite  to  a  license  to  preach  in  the  Church  of 
Scotland. 

From  Dr.  Hunter's,  I  proceeded  to  Professor  Dugald  Stewart's 
lecture  on  Moral  Philosophy.  I  dare  not  undertake  to  describe 
the  wonder  of  Europe,  the  boast  of  metaphysicians,  the  pride 
of  literature,  the  ornament  of  polished  life, — Dugald  Stewart. 
The  riches  of  the  ancients  are  at  his  command.  The  advance 
and  improvements  in  literature  and  science,  among  the  moderns, 
are  perfectly  familiar  to  him.  The  graces  of  eloquence,  the 
flowers  of  poetry,  serve  in  his  hands  to  adorn  and  elucidate  the 
abstruse  science  of  metaphysics.  His  manner  is  energetic  and 
lofty,  his  style  nervous,  beautiful  and  glowing.  He  commands 
the  most  profound  attention.  Once,  indeed,  a  student  made 
some  little  disturbance  in  his  class.  Mr.  Stewart  cannot  submit 
to  the  least  noise  or  inattention.  As  Gouverneur  Morris  says 
of  Washington,  "  His  wrath  was  terrible."  He  made  a  solemn 
pause,  and,  fixing  his  eye  on  a  particular  part  of  the  room,  was 
silent  for  two  or  three  minutes.  He  then  renewed  his  lecture, 
but  the  noise  recurring  he  paused  again,  with  his  eye  directed 
to  the  same  spot.  In  the  most  emphatic  manner,  he  desired  the 
person  who  made  the  disturbance  not  to  leave  the  lecture  room 
without  speaking  to  him.  After  proceeding  with  his  lecture  for 
some  time,   he   stopped  again   and  observed   that,   in  order  to 


MEMOIR   OF   DR.   CODMAN.  49 

prevent  mistake,  he  requested  that  gentleman  to  give  him  his 
name.  No  answer  was  givefa.  He  then  said,  "  I  have  my 
eye  upon  him.  He  sits  in  the  last  seat,  the  fourth  person 
from  the  end.  He  shall  not  leave  the  room  without  my  speak- 
ing to  him  ;  and  I  promise  myself  that  the  like  shall  never 
happen  again."  All  eyes  were  directed  to  the  poor  student, 
who  had  been  so  unfortunate  as  to  excite  the  wrath  of  Dugald 
Stewart.  I  know  not  who  he  was,  nor  do  I  know  what  disturb- 
ance he  made,  as  my  seat  is  at  a  distance  from  the  offender.  It 
must  have  been  a  very  heinous  offence,  to  have  justified  such 
language. 

In  the  evening,  Mr.  Silliman  and  myself  supped  with  Mr. 
Black,  one  of  the  ministers  of  Edinburgh,  and  one  of  the  best 
of  men.  He  is  a  man  of  uncommon  piety  and  great  meekness 
of  deportment.  His  manners  are  remarkably  easy  and  polite, 
and  his  preaching  truly  evangelical.  We  met  a  great  number 
of  very  worthy  and  pious  young  men  there.  Before  supper,  we 
attended  family  worship.  All  the  family  and  strangers  being 
assembled  together,  including  three  or  four  maid  servants,  a 
short  blessing  was  asked,  followed  by  singing,  in  which  the  ser- 
vants took  a  part ;  the  Scriptures  were  read,  and  all,  falling  on 
their  knees,  united  in  prayer  to  the  common  Parent.  It  was  a 
most  delightful  scene. 

January  4. — Dined  with  Mr.  D.  Dickson,  Jr.,  colleague  pastor 
with  Sir  H.  Moncrieff  Welwood,  in  the  West  Church.  He  is  a 
sensible,  pleasant  young  man,  and  we  found  there  some  very 
agreeable  company.  In  the  evening,  called  on  Rev.  Mr.  Camp- 
bell, who  has  lately  succeeded  Dr.  Kemp  in  the  Tolbooth 
church,  and  there  united  in  the  delightful  duties  of  family  wor- 
ship. How  sweet,  how  pleasant  it  is  to  praise  God  in  a  social 
circle  of  Christians  ! 


50  MEMOIR   OF   DR.   CODMAN. 

January  5. — This  morning  I  went  to  the  Baptist  church. 
The  Scotch  Baptists  are  remarked  for  great  illiberality  of  senti- 
ment. They  hold  no  communion  with  Christians  of  other  de- 
nominations. The  church  is  in  the  Cowgate,  and  the  celebrated 
Dr.  McLean  is  one  of  the  pastors.  The  sermon  was  a  good 
essay  upon  the  vanity  of  the  world,  but  was  grossly  deficient  in 
what  Dr.  Doddridge  thinks  indispensable  for  a  sermon, — some 
mention  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  of  the  influence  of  the 
Holy  Spirit. 

January  6. — This  day  I  called  on  Mr.  Robert  Haldane, 
with  a  letter  from  Mr.  Burder.  There  are  in  Edinburgh  two 
brothers  of  this  name,  both  of  considerable  fortune.*  Mr. 
Robert  Haldane  was  once  a  violent  politician,  and  was  very 
obnoxious  to  the  ministerial  party.  Within  a  few  years  he  has 
become  a  religious  man,  and  is  now  as  obnoxious  to  the  friends 
of  Presbyterian  government.  He  has  a  large  fortune,  which 
he  devotes  to  pious  purposes,  principally  for  educating  young 
men  for  preaching.  Mr.  James  Haldane  has  likewise  become 
a  religious  man  and  a  preacher.  These  two  gentlemen  are 
the  leaders  of  the  Scotch  Independents.  It  seems  that  two 
ministers  of  the  established  church,  a  Mr.  Ewen  and  a  Mr. 
Inness,  from  some  disgust  quitted  the  church,  and,  with  the 
Messrs.  Haldane,  set  up  Independency.  There  is  a  large 
tabernacle,  at  which  Mr.  Haldane  is  the  preacher.  They 
never  license  to  preach,  and  they  administer  the  Lord's  sup- 
per every  Sabbath  afternoon.  Upon  entering  the  room,  Mr. 
Haldane  received  me  with  considerable  cordiality ;  and  the 
first  questions  he  asked  were,  "  What  I  thought  of  a  gospel 
church?  "     "  Whether  I   had  inquired   and  consulted  my  Bible 

*  Mr.  Robert  Haldane  died  in  1842,  and  Mr.  James  Haldane  in 
1851.  The  biography  of  both  has  been  recently  published  in  this 
country. 


MEMOIR   OF   DR.   CODMAN.  51 

on  the  subject  ? "     *'  What   church   I   belonged   to   in   Amer- 
ica?"    "What  church  I  communed  with  here?" 

The  following  extract  from  a  letter  to  his  friend 
Allen,  dated  February,  1806,  will  exhibit  the  nature 
of  his  religious  impressions  at  that  time  : 

Like  you,  I  have  been  attending  lectures  on  Chemistry,  and 
my  time  has  been  fully  employed  in  my  various  pursuits.  O, 
my  friend,  vi^hile  we  increase  in  useful  human  knowledge,  I 
hope  we  shall  not  decrease  in  that  knowledge,  which  will  alone 
be  useful  to  us  in  the  day,  when  we  must  appear  before  the 
judgment-seat  of  Christ.  Since  I  have  been  in  this  country,  my 
mind  has  been  not  a  little  distressed  at  my  lukewarmness  and 
coldness  in  the  spiritual  life.  The  Lord,  who  knows  all  things, 
I  humbly  hope  knows  that  I  destine  to  love  him  ;  but  with  all  my 
desire,  my  heart  still  remains  cold  and  languid.  The  effects  of 
indwelling  sin  are  constantly  rising  in  my  heart  and  appearing 
in  my  life.  The  temptations  of  the  world,  the  flesh  and  the 
devil,  are  constantly  attracting  me ;  and  I  am  daily  exclaiming 
with  St.  Paul,  "  O  wretched  man  that  I  am,  who  shall  deliver 
me  from  the  body  of  this  death  !  " 


In  the  preceding  pages,  we  have  seen  the  careful 
and  judicious  observer  of  the  passing  events  con- 
nected with  his  entrance  upon  the  world,  and  upon 
his  preparation  for  active  usefulness.  Mr.  Codman 
was  now  in  his  twenty-fourth  year,  and  his  remarks 
upon  the  society  and  circumstances,  among  which 


52  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

he  moved,  exhibit  a  wise  discrimination,  a  just 
caution,  and  remarkable  maturity  of  judgment. 
The  reader  will  not  fail  to  see,  that  in  his  relig- 
ious experience  he  speaks  with  great  humility  and 
self-distrust.  The  attractions  of  the  world  were 
exceedingly  strong,  and  the  conflict  between  his 
convictions  of  duty,  his  remembered  vows,  his  high 
obligations,  and  the  opposing  influences  of  fashion 
and  the  world,  was  often  sharp  and  distressing ;  but 
he  had  not  yet  attained  to  that  high  Christian  prin- 
ciple which,  in  after  life,  sustained  him  in  yet 
fiercer  conflicts,  and  enabled  him  to  rejoice  that  he 
was  "  counted  worthy  to  suffer  shame  for  the  name 
of  Jesus."  He  was  now  hopefully  in  the  Christian 
life  ;  yet  he  does  not  seem  to  have  partaken  largely 
of  its  consolations.  He  loved  the  people  of  God, 
the  place  of  prayer,  and  the  worship  of  the  sanc- 
tuary, more  than  all  other  objects;  but  he  longed  for 
a  holier  zeal,  a  more  lively  faith  ;  and,  as  his  stan- 
dard of  Christian  feeling  and  duty  was  high,  his 
felt  deficiencies,  his  apprehended  want  of  conformity 
thereto,  often  excited  his  fears  and  checked  the 
aspirations  of  his  heaven-directed  hopes.  But, 
though  rarely  attaining  those  more  elevated  Chris- 
tian enjoyments,  which  are  often  afforded  to  the 
disciples  of  Christ,  he  was  rapidly  maturing  those 


MEMOIR  OF  DB.   CODMAN.  63 

vigorous  principles  of  piety,  which  best  exhibit  the 
calm  and  cheerful  aspects  of  the  Christian  hope, 
and  which  enabled  him  in  after  life  so  signally  to 
overcome  the  world,  and  to  '  endure  hardness  as  a 
good  soldier  of  Jesus  Christ.' 


54  MEMOIR  or  DR.  CODMAN, 


CHAPTER  V. 

JOURNAL  AT  EDINBUEGH  —  DIFFERENT  PREACHERS  —  REV.  MR.  BLACK, 
HIS  SICKNESS  AND  DEATH  — STATE  OF  RELIGION  IN  SCOTLAND  — 
LONDON  — VISIT  TO  MR.  WILBERFORCE  —  COMMENCEMENT  OF  MIN- 
ISTERIAL LABORS  —  LETTERS  FROM  HIS  MOTHER  AND  REV.  MR. 
CHANNING  — TOUR  ON  THE  CONTINENT  —  RETURN  TO  EDINBURGH. 

Edinburgh,  February  3,  1806. — Engaged  in  study  all  day. 
In  the  evening,  I  went  to  the  prayer-meeting  for  supplicating 
the  Almighty  to  extend  the  limits  of  the  Redeemer's  kingdom, 
and  to  succeed  all  missionary  exertion.  This  meeting  is  held 
once  a  month,  and  the  pious  of  all  parties  in  the  church  unite 
in  it.  O  may  the  prayers  that  have  this  evening  been  offered 
at  the  footstool  of  Mercy,  be  heard  and  graciously  answered  ; 
and  may  the  happy  time  soon  come,  when  Jesus  Christ,  our 
Lord  and  Saviour,  shall  "  have  the  heathen  for  his  inheritance, 
and  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  for  his  possession." 

February  4. — Nothing  to  interrupt  my  studies.  The  weather 
here  is  quite  variable.  To-day  was  the  coldest  day  I  have 
experienced  in  Scotland  ;  thermometer  at  21°. 

February  8. — Attended  the  Philo-Theological  Society,  of 
which  I  am  a  member.  Heard  a  very  good  essay  on  the  compar- 
ative merit  of  the  Christian  and  Mohammedan  religions.  The 
question  for  debate  was.  Whether  there  are  errors  in  the  Church 
of  Scotland  sufficient  to  justify  a  secession  ?  It  was  decided 
unanimously  in  the  negative. 


MEMOIR   OF  DR.   CODMAN.  55 

February  9. — Attended,  as  usual,  the  Tolbooth  church,  and 
heard  Mr.  Campbell  preach  upon  the  office  of  ruling  elders. 
He  asked  the  elders,  who  sat  before  him,  several  questions : 
"  Do  you  believe  in  the  Scriptures  ?  Do  you  believe  the  doc- 
trines of  the  Westminster  Confession  to  be  the  doctrines  of 
Scripture  ?  Do  you  believe  the  form  of  Presbyterian  govern- 
ment to  be  according  to  Scripture,  and  promise  to  support  it  ? 
Do  you  promise  to  perform  the  duties  of  your  office  to  the  best 
of  your  abilities  ?  "  To  which  they  assented,  by  an  inclination 
of  the  head.  After  the  ordination  prayer,  he  added  some 
advice,  in  which  he  urged  the  frequent  perusal  of  Scripture  and 
other  duties.  Jn  the  afternoon,  I  went  to  hear  Dr.  Jamieson, 
a  Burgher  minister,  celebrated  for  his  controversy  with  Dr. 
Priestly,  on  the  divinity  of  Christ.  He  preached  a  very  excel- 
lent sermon  from  Isaiah  Ivii.  17.  He  observed,  that  no  one  was 
stationary  in  religion ;  that  if  he  was  not  making  progress,  he 
was  going  backward,  I  have  very  great  apprehensions,  that  this 
is  my  case.  Little,  very  little  progress  have  I  made  in  religion 
since  I  have  been  in  this  country.  My  heart  has  backslidden 
from  God.  O  Lord,  "  take  not  thy  Holy  Spirit  from  me.  Re- 
store unto  me  the  joy  of  thy  salvation,  and  uphold  me  with  thy 
free  Spirit."  Not  till  then,  shall  I  be  able  to  fulfill  the  duties  of 
a  Christian  minister.  Not  till  then,  shall  I  be  able  to  *'  teach 
transgressors  thy  ways,  that  sinners  may  be  converted  unto 
thee." 

February  14. — This  evening,  for  the  first  time  since  I  have 
been  in  this  country,  I  went  to  a  place  of  public  amusement. 
It  was  a  funeral  concert  on  the  death  of  Lord  Nelson,  Mr.  Pitt, 
and  the  Marquis  Cornwallis.  The  room  was  hung  in  black,  and 
was  very  crowded.  The  gentlemen  were  all  dressed  in  black, 
and  the  ladies  in  black  or  white.  The  music  was  sacred,  from 
Handel. 


56  MEMOIR   OF   DR.   CODMAN. 

February  16. — Heard  Dr.  Balfour,  of  Glasgow,  preach  an 
excellent  sermon  from  Psalm  Ixxxiv.  11.  His  manner  was  easy 
and  graceful,  his  style  rich  and  glowing,  his  sentiments  just  and 
evangelical,  and  the  whole  discourse  one  of  the  best  I  have 
heard.  Again  I  heard  him  in  the  afternoon  and  in  the  evening, 
at  the  Tron  church,  for  the  Sabbath  School  Institution.  Never 
did  I  hear  a  more  eloquent  discourse.  What  rich  means  of 
grace  do  I  enjoy,  and  how  little  do  I  improve  them  ! 

February  21. — Dined  in  company  with  Mr.  Silliman,  at  Dr. 
Buchanan's.  We  met  there  a  Scotch  Baronet,  Sir  John  Stir- 
ling, his  lady  and  daughter.  Lady  Stirling  is  an  American,  and 
was  born  near  New  Haven.  Mr.  Silliman  remembers  a  story 
of  a  Scotch  nobleman  falling  in  love  with  the  daughter  of  a 
mechanic,  at  church,  in  a  place  not  far  from  New  Haven.  This 
is  probably  the  very  person.  Her  father  still  lives,  and  continues 
his  trade. 

Monday,  February  24. — Every  one  appears  interested  about 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Black,  who  is  dangerously  ill.  His  door  is 
thronged,  and  in  the  evening  the  pious  from  all  parts  of  the  city 
crowded  to  his  church,  to  supplicate  Almighty  God  to  spare  his 
valuable  life. 

February  26. — Sent  a  messenger  to  inquire  for  Mr.  Black, 
who  brought  me  word,  that  *  he  was  at  his  rest.'  Supposing 
that  he  was  better,  I  went  light-hearted  to  my  duties.  Seeing 
Mr.  Dickson,  he  gave  me  the  melancholy  intelligence  of  Mr. 
Black's  death,  and  told  me  that  the  phrase,  *  He  was  at  his 
rest,'  was  usual  in  Scotland  to  express  death.  O  God,  how 
unsearchable  are  thy  judgments,  and  thy  ways  past  finding 
out!  His  spirit  has  ascended  to  those  heavenly  mansions, 
prepared  for  him  by  his  blessed  Saviour.  It  is  our  loss,  but  his 
unspeakable  gain.  He  was  a  man  of  the  most  gentle  and  affec- 
tionate disposition,  of  great  zeal  in  the  cause  of  Christ,  and  a 


MEMOIR   OF  DR.   CODMAN.  57 

most  useful  and  excellent  minister.  He  has  left  a  disconsolate 
widow  and  five  young  children.  The  God  and  the  Judge  of  the 
widow,  and  the  Father  of  the  fatherless,  will  provide  for  them. 
Never  did  I  see  more  general  sorrow  than  is  expressed  on  this 
melancholy  occasion ;  for  he  was  universally  beloved,  and  is 
universally  lamented.  He  died  in  the  forty-fourth  year  of  his 
age,  of  a  nervous  fever,  after  a  short  illness. 

Sunday,  March  2. — Hail,  sacred  day  of  rest !  In  the  morn- 
ing I  went  to  church,  accompanied  by  one  of  my  countrymen, 
a  very  pleasing  and  amiable  man,  but  I  fear  a  stranger  to  the 
blessed  gospel.     May  the  Holy  Spirit  constrain  him  to  the  truth. 

Monday,  March  3. — To-day,  Mr.  Black  was  interred.  The 
funerals  in  this  country  are  conducted  in  a  very  different  man- 
ner from  those  in  America.  There  are  no  prayers  at  the  house, 
or  at  the  grave.  No  person  attends,  unless  formally  invited  by 
letter  ;  and  he  must  then  appear  in  full  mourning.  The  mourn- 
ing of  the  Scotch,  is  deep  black  with  crape  on  the  hat,  generally 
very  long,  and  with  the  cuffs  of  their  coats  trimmed  with  white  ; 
which  trimmings  are  called  iceepers.  The  people,  after  taking 
refreshment,  attend  the  corpse  to  the  grave,  which  is  some- 
times carried  on  shoulders,  but  most  commonly  in  a  hearse. 
This  is  drawn  by  two,  four,  six,  and  sometimes  eight  horses,  the 
lower  part  being  decorated  with  various  colors.  The  upper 
part  is  covered  with  black  velvet  and  black  trimmings,  and  orna- 
mented with  plumes.  After  the  hearse,  followed  ten  mourning 
carriages  and  six  private  gentlemen's  coaches. 

Sunday,  March  9. — In  the  morning  I  attended  at  Mr.  Black's 
church,  to  hear  the  tribute  of  affection  and  love.  The  church 
was  exceedingly  crowded,  and  many  could  not  obtain  admit- 
tance. After  service,  I  went  to  Lady  Glenorchy's  chapel  to 
partake  of  the  sacrament,  unworthy  as  I  am,  and  so  little  de- 
serving of  the  crumbs  that  fall  from  my  Master's  table.  What 
a  privilege,  to  sit  down  at  the  marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb ! 


68  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

Friday,  March  14. — It  being  a  beautiful  morning,  I  took  a 
ride  into  the  country  on  horseback.  The  scenery  was  quite 
American.  The  hills  were  covered  with  snow,  and  the  ground 
just  parting  with  the  frost.  As  I  jogged  along,  I  overtook  a 
fellow-traveler ;  and,  according  to  the  good  old  Yankee  custom, 
we  fell  into  conversation.  I  must  here  observe,  that  I  noticed  in 
this  plain,  good  Scotchman,  the  same  curious  spirit  for  which 
New  England  has  been  so  frequently  ridiculed.  Perceiving  I 
was  a  stranger,  he  inquired  from  what  country  I  came,  what  my 
business  was,  &c.,  &c.  He  was,  apparently,  a  sensible,  judi- 
cious and  pious  man.  I  make  not  this  observation  to  con- 
demn such  curiosity  as  impertinent,  for  I  really  did  not  consider 
it  so ;  but  merely  to  show,  that  it  is  not  peculiar  to  my  Yankee 
countrymen. 

Saturday,  March  15. — I  attended,  as  usual,  the  Philo-Theo- 
logical  Society,  and  heard  a  very  good  essay  on  moral  agency 
from  Mr.  Brotherston.  Some  of  the  society,  however,  did  not 
think  so  highly  of  it;  and  rudely  attempted  to  pull  it  to  pieces. 
No  good  Calvinist  could  possibly  have  objected  to  the  essay,  but 
these  gentlemen  pretend  to  be  Calvinists ;  that  is,  they  are  told 
they  must  be  so,  their  church  confession  obliging  them  to  it ; 
and  they  are  much  offended  if  you  insinuate  that  they  are  not 
so.  The  fact  is,  that  very  many  of  the  members  of  the  Church 
of  Scotland  are  Arminians,  although  they  all  sign  the  most 
complete  Calvinistic  confession  of  faith  in  the  world.  Many  of 
the  students  of  divinity,  now  at  the  hall,  are  at  TiPAirt  Arminians, 
though  they  think  it  a  most  opprobrious  title.  *'  The  heart  is 
deceitful  above  all  things,  and  desperately  wicked ;  who  can 
know  it ! " 

Sunday,  March  16. — There  is  much  real  religion  among  the 
lower  classes  of  people  in  this  country.  The  churches,  where 
the  gospel  is  preached  in  its  purity,  overflow  with  hearers ;  but 
in  the  other  churches,  there  13  little  more  to  be  seen  than  the 


MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN.  59 

bare  walls.  Happy  Scotland !  while  the  most  woful  degeneracy 
exists  in  every  part  of  Europe  and  in  my  favored  country,  thou 
still  retainest,  in  a  great  measure,  the  piety  and  virtue  of  our 
forefathers !  Never  shall  I  forget  the  good  I  have  received  in 
thy  churches. 

In  a  letter  of  April  25,  1806,  he  says  : 

I  have  spent  the  winter  very  pleasantly,  and  considerably  to 
my  satisfaction.  The  session  is  now  over,  the  lectures  are 
closed,  and  I  am  starting  again  to  see  a  little  of  Europe.  I 
expect  to  visit  the  Highlands,  thence  proceed  to  London,  and 
after  crossing  the  channel,  if  it  should  be  safe,  to  return  to 
Edinburgh  to  devote  another  winter  to  my  books. 


The  following  extract  from  a  letter  to  his  friend, 
will  show  the  temper  of  his  mind  at  this  time,  and 
his  love  to  the  cause  of  his  Saviour.  After  alluding 
to  a  project  of  going,  with  other  ministers,  into  the 
woods  of  the  Genesee  country,  to  settle  the  track- 
less wilds,  he  adds :  "  Have  you  forgotten  your 
plans  on  this  subject  ?  Do  you  remember  how  we 
used  to  talk  it  over  together  ?  For  my  own  part, 
I  would  not  hesitate  to  sacrifice  all  the  favorable 
prospect  I  might  have,  of  a  pleasant  settlement 
among  my  friends,  were  I  persuaded  that  I  might 
advance  the  interests  of  our  dear  Redeemer." 

He  arrived  in  London,  June  1,  1806;  and,  that 


60  MEMOIR  OF   DR.   CODMAN. 

he  might  be  near  his  friends,  took  up  his  residence 
in  Islington  for  a  few  weeks.  In  his  journal,  he 
thus  speaks  of  his  friend,  Mr.  Robert  Cowie  : 
"  He  is  a  father  to  a  numerous  circle  of  pious 
friends  in  Islington,  and  is  the  principal  supporter 
of  a  place  of  worship.  How  delightful  is  Christian 
intercourse  !  In  this  country,  to  be  a  Christian,  is 
a  sufficient  recommendation  to  Christians.  The 
fashionable  world,  the  literary  world,  the  mercantile 
world,  the  idle  world,  are  cold  and  ceremonious  ; 
but  the  Christian  world  is  the  reverse,  warm  and 
friendly, — a  temper  truly  becoming  the  disciples  of 
Christ." 

Saturday,  June  14. — Supped  with  Mr.  Lewis,  the  minister 
of  Highbury  Grove  chapel,  a  very  amiable,  pious  and  useful 
man.  After  tea,  I  went  with  him  to  a  prayer-meeting  at  the 
chapel.  How  unworthy  I  am  to  be  favored  with  such  privi- 
leges, and,  particularly,  to  lead  the  devotions  of  others. 

Sunday,  June  15. — After  morning  service,  the  sacrament 
was  administered,  first  in  the  Church  form,  and  then  in  the 
Dissenter's ;  at  the  last  of  which  I  had  the  privilege  of  partaking. 
In  the  evening,  it  was  announced  that  I  was  to  preach  the  next 
Thursday  evening.  Gracious  God,  prepare  me  for  this  entrance 
upon  my  ministerial  duties  !  O  Lord,  I  trust  in  thee  ;  to  whom 
should  I  go,  but  unto  thee ! 

Wednesday,  June  18. — This  morning,  I  received  a  note  from 
Mr.  Wilberforce,  to  whom  I  had  a  letter  of  introduction,  inform- 
ing me  that  he  was  much  pressed  with  business  at  present ; 


MEMOIR   OF   DR.   CODMAN.  61 

but  if  I  would  come  and  take  a  beef-steak  with  him,  between 
three  and  four,  to-day  or  to-morrow,  he  would  be  very  happy  to 
see  me.  When  I  reached  his  door,  at  the  time  appointed,  I 
found  it  so  surrounded  with  coaches  of  style,  that  I  could  hardly 
make  my  way  up.  I  knocked,  and  was  informed  by  the  ser- 
vants that  Mr.  Wilberforce  was  not  at  home.  He  had  written 
me,  if  he  should  not  be  in,  to  wait  till  he  came.  The  servants 
accordingly  ushered  me  into  the  parlor,  where  were  five  or  six 
gentlemen  waiting  for  Mr.  Wilberforce.  I  took  a  seat,  but  no 
one  knew  me,  and  I  knew  no  one ;  no  one  spoke  to  me,  and  I 
spoke  to  no  one.  In  this  awkward  dilemma  I  sat  for  about  half 
an  hour,  when  the  servant  came  in  and  said,  "  Gentlemen,  Mr. 
Wilberforce  will  not  be  in  to  dinner."  The  gentleman  who 
presided  at  the  table  was  polite  enough  to  take  a  glass  of  wine 
with  me,  but  not  another  word  was  exchanged.  When  dinner 
was  about  half  over,  we  heard  a  most  violent  rapping  at  the 
door.  One  of  the  gentlemen  exclaimed,  "  That  is  Wilber- 
force !  "  The  door  opened,  and  in  ran  a  very  small  man,  who, 
in  Scotland,  would  be  called  a  wee  wee  7nanme,  hopping  about 
here  and  there.  "  How  do  you  do,  my  lord  ! "  "Most  obedient, 
gentlemen ! "  in  a  prodigious  hurry ;  and  obliged  to  back  a 
friend's  motion  in  the  house.  "  Excuse  me,  gentlemen ;  must  be 
gone  ! "  I  rose  and  bowed  ;  but  the  little  man  was  near-sighted, 
and  could  not  distinguish  the  features  of  a  stranger.  Presently, 
one  of  the  party  said,  "  Mr.  Wilberforce,  here  is  a  gentleman 
who  wishes  to  see  you."  I  went  up  to  him,  bowed,  and  told 
him  my  name.  "  Oh,  Mr.  Codman,"  he  exclaimed,  *'  I  did 
send  you  a  note  this  morning.  I  should  beg  a  thousand  par- 
dons, and  will  send  an  apology  to  my  friend,  Mr.  Banks,  imme- 
diately." "  By  no  means,  sir,"  said  I.  "  Will  you  excuse  me, 
then?"  **  Certainly."  And  out  he  flew,  without  introducing 
me  to  a  single  person  in  the  room.     I  suppose  however,  in  the 


62  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

entry,  he  had  told  the  gentleman  who  presided,  that  I  was  from 
America ;  for  I  was  asked  some  questions  at  table  concern- 
ing America,  and  some  conversation  ensued.  The  company,  I 
found,  were  Lord  Teignmouth,  Mr.  Henry  Thornton,  a  clergy- 
man, who  I  believe  was  Mr.  Owen,  author  of  the  "  Fashiona- 
ble World  Displayed,"  and  other  gentlemen.  They  were  polite 
and  affable  to  each  other,  though  not  to  me ;  for  it  is  a  standing 
rule,  in  this  country,  to  take  no  notice  of  a  person  to  whom 
they  have  not  been  regularly  introduced.  Our  Boston  gentle- 
men, who  are  in  the  habit  of  giving  such  splendid  entertain- 
ments, would  be  surprised  at  the  dinner  given  by  Mr.  Wilberforce. 
Some  slices  of  cold  beef,  and  a  small  piece  of  roast  mutton  only, 
were  provided  for  noblemen  and  members  of  parliament.  The 
most  common  white  plates  were  on  the  table,  and  every  thing  in 
the  same  style. 

Thursday,  June  19. — The  evening  of  this  day  forms  one  of 
the  most  interesting  periods  of  my  life.  I  entered  upon  the 
arduous  duties  of  a  preacher  of  the  gospel,  and  consecrated 
myself  to  the  service  of  God,  and  of  his  Son  Jesus  Christ.  My 
public  labors  were  commenced  before  a  few  chosen  friends,  the 
congregation  not  exceeding  two  hundred.  I  preached  from 
Romans  xiv.  10.  After  having  done  all  in  my  power  to  prepare 
myself  for  this  solemn  undertaking,  I  left  the  rest  to  God  ;  to 
his  grace,  to  support  me  under  the  trying  situation  ;  and,  praised 
be  his  glorious  name,  I  never  had  more  presence  of  mind,  nor 
was  I  ever  so  regardless  of  man.     To  him  be  all  the  glory. 

As  yet,  however,  he  had  not  been  licensed  as  a 
preacher. 

June  25. — Accompanied  Mr.  Lewis  to  Hoxton,  a  village 
about  two  miles  from  Islington,  to  attend  an  anniversary  of  the 


MEMOIK   OF   DR.   CODMAN.  63 

academy.  The  academy  is  for  Dissenters,  and  from  this  place 
preachers  are  continually  issuing.  It  has  a  master  and  a  few 
tutors.  The  students  are  taught  Latin,  Greek  and  Hebrew, 
and  a  smattering  of  Philosophy.  They  are  sent  out  to  preach 
almost  immediately  upon  their  entering  on  their  studies,  first  to 
the  almshouses  and  then  to  the  villages.  There  is  no  regular 
course  of  study  required  ;  but  the  students  may  preach  as  soon 
they  please,  and  whenever  they  are  invited.  Dined  with  the 
excellent  Mr.  Cowie.  O  how  delightful  is  Christian  communion ! 
a  foretaste  of  the  joys,  which  are  prepared  for  those  who  love 
the  Lord  Jesus,  in  another  world. 


It  may  be  proper  to  introduce,  in  this  place,  a 
few  extracts  from  letters  received,  during  his  resi- 
dence in  Scotland,  from  his  step-mother,  Mrs. 
Catharine  Codman,  which  may  show  the  mutual 
esteem  and  affection  which  subsisted  between  him- 
self and  that  excellent  lady,  as  well  as  throw  some 
light  on  his  domestic  character. 

May,  1806. — I  have  already  written  you  by  Mr.  B ,  since 

which  I  have  received  yours ;  and  as  I  believe  he  has  not  yet 
sailed,  I  must  thank  you  for  it.  In  doing  this,  however,  you 
will  not  expect  me  to  describe  the  feelings  it  has  excited.  If 
you  have  reason  to  thank  God  for  the  event,  which  gave  me  to 
be  your  mother,  how  much  have  I  to  bless  him,  that  it  gave  me 
you  for  a  son  !  In  my  peculiar  state,  what  can  be  so  consoling 
as  your  friendship  ?  On  what  object  can  my  affection  so  naturally 
fasten,  as  on  the  counterpart  of  him  who  has  been  taken  from 


64  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

them  ?  My  gratitude  for  the  blessing  is  still  more  excited,  when 
I  view  you  as  the  father  of  my  children  ;  and  this  is  augmented 
by  reflection  on  the  sacredness  of  the  profession  you  have 
chosen,  which  will  add  such  weight  and  influence  to  parental 
advice. 

This  is  the  first  time  I  have  attempted  to  write  you  in  my  new 
house ;  and  it  seems  to  me,  that  I  should  write  in  an  improved 
state  of  heart,  and  produce  something  which  should  evince  a 
sense  of  that  peculiar  goodness  which  has  followed  me  all  my 
days,  and  which  sometimes  breaks  out  in  such  fresh  instances  of 
favor,  as  to  create  astonishment  that  it  is  bestowed  on  so  unwor- 
thy a  creature.  On  the  evening  of  my  entrance  into  this  house, 
I  asked  Mr.  Channing,  with  two  or  three  pious  friends,  to 
assemble  here  and  unite  with  me  in  prayer,  that  I  might  wait 
upon  God  in  it  better  than  I  had  ever  done,  and  thus  consecrate 
the  house  to  his  private  service.  But  alas,  after  all,  I  find  this 
body  of  sin  still  about  me,  weighing  me  down  to  earth,  while 
receiving  blessings  which  should  attract  me  to  the  skies. 

As  the  children  advance  in  years,  their  conduct  becomes  of 
so  much  more  importance  as  greatly  to  increase  my  anxiety.  I 
have  need,  as  well  as  you,  to  trust  in  Him,  who  can  give  me 
grace  that  shall  be  sufficient  for  me  ;  and  it  is  with  earnestness, 
my  dear  son,  that  I  solicit  your  prayers  that  I  may  receive  divine 
support.  You  need  not,  as  you  say,  ask  for  mine.  They  are 
what  you  have  always  had.  Your  happiness,  and  especially 
your  advancement  in  the  Christian  life,  never  presses  more 
forcibly  and  tenderly  on  my  heart,  than  when  it  is  lifted  up  to 
the  throne  of  grace  ;  and  I  trust  that  my  petitions  for  you,  will 
be  answered  in  your  safe  return  and  useful  subsequent  life. 
With  what  pleasure  do  I  look  forward  to  that  period,  when  the 
influence  of  your  precepts  and  example  will  so  greatly  aid  me  in 
rearing  my  children,  and  when  we  shall  realize   all  the  fond 


MEMOIR   OF  DR.   CODMAN.  65 

wishes  expressed  for  them  in  your  last !     Let  me  again  thank 
you  for  that  precious  letter. 


The  following  is  an  extract  from  a  letter,  which 
he  received  about  this  time,  from  Rev.  Mr.  Chan- 
ning  : 

Your  last  letter  increased  my  interest  in  your  welfare  and 
improvement.  You  seem  to  be  full  of  doubts  and  fears  respect- 
ing your  sincerity.  It  is  good  to  doubt  and  to  fear,  when  our 
minds,  instead  of  sinking  into  despondency,  are  excited  by 
painful  uncertainty  to  self-examination,  to  careful  inquiry  into 
the  nature  of  true  religion,  as  exhibited  in  the  Scriptures,  and 
to  humble,  fervent  prayer.  I  believe,  my  friend,  we  are  apt  to 
expose  ourselves  to  much  needless  pain,  by  forming  loose  and 
vague  opinions  of  our  characters  ;  by  condemning  ourselves  on 
account  of  something  which  we  cannot  define.  I  am  here 
speaking  of  my  own  experience,  rather  than  yours.  I  have  often 
felt  gloom  overspreading  my  mind,  without  being  able  to  tell  on 
what  account  I  felt  it.  I  believe  we  may  indulge  this  general 
indefinite  depression  and  fear  without  becoming,  in  any  degree, 
better  acquainted  with  our  real  characters,  without  perceiving 
more  distinctly  what  change  must  be  wrought  in  us,  without 
distinguishing  the  true  Christian  spirit  from  its  counterfeits,  and 
without  seeking  from  divine  grace  the  temper  we  need  to  qualify 
ourselves  for  heaven.  I  have  suffered  so  much  from  indistinct- 
ness of  views,  that  I  wish  to  guard  you  against  it.  Be  not  con- 
tented with  general  views  of  religion.  Analyze  your  heart,  and 
seek  to  obtain  from  the  word  of  God  just  views  of  the  distin- 
guishing exercises  of  a  child  of  God  j   and  if  then  you  have 


66  MEMOIR  OF  DR.   CODMAN. 

reason  to  fear  for  yourself,  you  cannot  be  too  much  impressed 
with  your  danger.  On  this  point,  we  cannot  be  too  faithful. 
May  God,  who  searches  us,  save  us  from  deceiving  ourselves  on 
the  infinitely  interesting  concerns  of  eternity. 


In  July,  Mr.  Codman  left  London  for  a  short  tour 
on  the  continent,  and  returned  to  Edinburgh  in  the 
following  November.  In  a  letter  to  his  friend  he 
savs  :  *'  I  remained  six  weeks  in  Paris,  and  left  it 
on  the  3d  of  October,  after  having  seen  everything 
that  was  deserving  the  attention  of  one  of  my  pro- 
fession. I  brought  three  very  dear  little  children 
of  a  Mr.  White  with  me,  from  Paris  to  England, 
whose  story  I  shall  reserve  for  a  winter's  evening. 
I  embarked  from  Rotterdam,  and  arrived  safe  in  a 
land  of  gospel  light  and  liberty.  O,  my  friend, 
until  you  have  been  deprived  of  the  institutions  and 
ordinances  of  religion,  you  can  never  sufficiently 
appreciate  their  value.  After  spending  a  few  days 
with  our  Islington  friends,  I  went  to  Bristol,  on  a 
visit  to  my  uncle,  and  preached  for  Mr.  Lowell,  a 
Dissenting  minister,  on  the  first  Sabbath  of  Novem- 
ber. From  Bristol,  I  came  immediately  to  Edin- 
burgh. Before  my  arrival  here,  I  had  received  very 
pressing  invitations  from  my  excellent  friend.  Rev. 
D.  Dickson,  Jr.,  to  make  his  house  my  home  during 


MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN.  67 

the  winter.  He  would  not  allow  me  to  decline ; 
and  I  am  now  living  on  the  truly  generous  hospi- 
tality, for  which  this  favored  part  of  the  island  has 
been  so  long  distinguished.  I  cannot  be  sufficiently 
grateful  to  Almighty  God,  for  raising  up  such  kind 
friends  in  a  foreign  land.  Surely,  goodness  and 
mercy  have  followed  me  all  the  days  of  my  life." 


68  MEMOIE  OF  DR.  CODMAN, 


CHAPTER  VI. 

HIS  EETUEN  TO  AMERICA  —  OEDINATION  AS  PASTOR  OF  THE  SECOND 
CHmCH  IN  DOECIIESTER  —  SERMON  OF  DR.  CHANNING  —  PARISH 
DIFFICULTIES  — THE   "DORCHESTER  CONTROVERSY." 

In  the  spring  of  1807,  Mr.  Codman  left  Edin- 
burgh. At  Bristol,  he  obtained  a  license  to  preach, 
dated  April  29,  and  signed  by  three  ministers  of 
Bristol  and  Bath, — Samuel  Lowell,  William  Thorp, 
and  William  Jay.  He  was  soon  invited  to  preach 
in  the  Scotch  church  of  Swallow  Street,  London, 
where  he  continued  his  labors  for  about  a  year. 
Returning  home  in  1808,  he  arrived  at  Boston  in 
the  month  of  May.  In  August,  he  first  preached 
to  the  Second  Church  in  Dorchester,  which  had 
been  recently  organized.  The  new  meeting-house 
was  dedicated,  October  30,  1806.  After  preaching 
here  on  two  Sabbaths,  the  Church  and  Parish  in- 
vited him  to  become  their  Minister.  Before  accept- 
ing their  call,  he  sent  to  them  a  communication,  of 
which  the  following  is  an  extract : 


MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN.  69 

To  tlie  Members  of  the  Second  Church,  of  Christ  in  Dorchester. 

My  Christian  Friends  and  Brethren, — I  have  received 
your  unanimous  call  to  settle  with  you  as  your  Pastor,  with  sen- 
timents difficult,  indeed  impossible  for  me  to  express.  The 
entire  unanimity  of  the  call  demands  my  most  devout  acknowl- 
edgments to  the  great  Head  of  the  Church,  and  my  warmest 
gratitude  to  those  who  have  thought  it  proper  to  give  me  their 
votes. 

I  have  endeavored  to  lay  this  very  important  subject  at  the 
footstool  of  the  throne  of  grace ;  and  to  seek  that  wisdom  which 
Cometh  from  above,  which  is  profitable  to  direct.  It  has  also 
been  my  endeavor  to  advise  with  pious  and  judicious  friends, 
upon  a  subject  so  intimately  connected  with  my  future  happiness. 
But,  before  I  give  a  definite  answer  to  your  application,  I  think 
it  my  duty  to  make  a  few  remarks,  and  to  enter  into  some  expla- 
nations, which  are  highly  important  and  interesting,  both  to  you 
and  me. 

You  must  be  sensible  that  the  office  of  a  Minister  of  the 
Gospel  is,  in  the  greatest  degree,  important  and  responsible. 
Immortal  souls  are  committed  to  his  charge ;  and  we  are 
assured  that  the  Lord  will  require  their  blood  at  his  hands.  It 
becomes  him,  then,  as  he  regards  the  commands,  and  values  the 
favor  of  the  great  Jehovah,  as  he  regards  his  ordination  vows,  as 
he  values  immortal  souls,  to  declare  the  whole  counsel  of  God, 
to  deliver  his  message  with  boldness,  to  be  faithful  unto  death. 
He  will  necessarily  sometimes  speak  of  doctrines  that  may  not 
be  altogether  congenial  to  his  hearers.  It  therefore  appears  to 
me  highly  important,  to  prevent  future  di-fficultieSj  for  the 
people,  and  especially  the  Church,  in  their  choice  of  a  Minister, 
to  be  fully  acquainted  with  his  views,  with  regard  to  the  peculiar 
doctrines  of  the  gospel. 

The  Second  Church  and  Society  in  Dorchester,  before  they 


70  MEMOIR  OF  DE.  CODMAN. 

gave  me  a  call,  had  but  little  opportunity  to  form  an  opinion  of 
my  theological  sentiments,  having  heard  me  only  two  Sabbaths 
and  one  lecture.  On  those  occasions,  however,  I  endeavored 
to  be  plain,  explicit,  and  decided  in  the  avowal  of  my  religious 
opinions. 

Lest,  however,  there  should  be  a  doubt  in  the  mind  of  any 
one  upon  this  subject,  I  think  it  my  duty,  in  the  presence  of  a 
heart-searching  God,  and  of  this  Church,  to  declare  my  firm, 
unshaken  faith  in  those  doctrines,  that  are  sometimes  called  the 
doctrines  of  the  reformation,  the  doctrines  of  the  cross,  the 
peculiar  doctrines  of  the  gospel. 

These  doctrines,  through  the  help  of  God,  I  intend  to  preach  ; 
in  the  "faith  of  these  doctrines,  I  hope  to  live  ;  and  in  the  faith  of 
these  doctrines,  I  hope  to  die. 

It  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  have  it  in  my  power  to  say,  that 
I  believe  my  faith  is  the  same  with  that  of  our  venerable  fore- 
fathers ;  and  particularly  with  that  of  the  former  Pastors  of  the 
Church  of  Dorchester,  Warham,  Maverick,  Mather,  Burr,  &c., 
&c.,  &c. 

As  Arian  and  Socinian  errors  have  of  late  years  crept  into 
some  of  our  churches,  I  think  it  my  duty  to  declare  to  that 
Church  of  Christ,  of  whom  I  may  have  the  pastoral  charge,  that 
I  believe  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  to  he  the  one  living 
and  true  God;  and  that  my  faith,  in  general,  is  conformable 
to  the  Assembly's  Catechism,  and  to  the  Confession  of  Faith 
drawn  up  by  the  Elders  and  Messengers  of  the  Congregational 
Churches  in  the  year  1680,  and  recommended  to  the  Churches 
by  the  General  Court  of  Massachusetts. 

With  regard  to  the  Discipline  of  the  Church,  I  shall  be  guided 
by  that  excellent  Platform  of  Church  Discipline,  drawn  up  at 
Cambridge,  principally  by  the  Rev.  Richard  Mather,  formerly 
Minister  of  Dorchester. 


MEMOIR  OF  DR.   CODMAN.  71 

I  have  thus  discharged  a  duty,  which  I  thought  I  owed  to  the 
Great  Head  of  the  Church,  and  to  you,  his  visible  members. 


On  the  31st  October,  1808,  it  was  voted  by  the 
Church  and  Parish  to  accept  the  communication  of 
their  Pastor  elect.  Of  the  same  date,  was  a  letter 
of  the  Parish  Committee,  of  which  the  following  is 
an  extract : 

Dear  Friend  and  Brother, — Although  there  may  be  a  dif- 
ference in  opinion  among  us,  respecting  some  parts  of  the  Holy 
Scriptures,  your  communication  is  received  with  pleasure  and 
general  satisfaction ;  and  we  venerate  the  principles  of  our  fore- 
fathers, especially  the  pious  and  worthy  Pastors  of  the  Church  of 
Christ  in  Dorchester,  who  have  been  as  shining  lights  in  the 
golden  candlestick  ;  and  are  happy  to  find  you  agree  with  them 
in  sentiment. 

We  are  sensible  that  the  office  of  a  Minister  of  the  Gospel  is, 
in  the  highest  degree,  important  and  responsible ;  but  if  you 
accept  that  office,  and  we  are  the  people  of  your  charge,  we 
hope  it  will  not  be  rendered  difficult  or  unpleasant,  by  the  want 
of  candor  or  propriety  of  conduct  on  our  part,  and  that  no  root 
of  bitterness  will  spring  up  to  trouble  us. 

In  our  present  imperfect  state,  various  opinions  and  discordant 
sentiments  will  exist,  and  occasions  occur  for  the  exercise  of  a 
spirit  of  condescension,  patience  and  toleration.  This  spirit  we 
wish  to  cultivate,  as  we  all  acknowledge  the  same  Great  Head  of 
the  Church,  and  in  him  are  all  brethren ;  and  if  we  follow  his 
example,  shall  be  all  friends. 

We  all  have  important  duties  to  perform,  and  may  reasonably 


72  MEMOIR  OF  DR.   CODMAN. 

expect  many  difficulties  to  encounter  ;  but  we  hope  the  guidance 
and  blessing  of  the  Father  of  lights  will  attend  us,  and  bring  us 
at  last  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth,  and  enjoyment  of  himself, 
through  the  merits  of  our  glorious  Redeemer. 


The  way  being  now  prepared,  Mr.  Codman  sent 
the  following  answer  to  the  call  which  he  had 
received  : 

To  the  Second  Clmrch  and  Society  in  Dorchester. 

My  Christian  Friends  and  Brethren, — The  moment  has 
now  arrived,  when,  in  the  providence  of  God,  I  am  called  to 
accept  the  solemn  and  responsible  charge  of  immortal  souls. 
When  I  consider  the  importance  of  the  ministerial  character, 
and  the  nature  and  extent  of  ministerial  duty,  and  when  I  reflect 
on  my  own  weakness  as  a  worm  of  the  dust,  and  on  my  guilt  as 
a  sinner,  condemned  by  the  righteous  law  of  a  holy  God,  I  am 
ready  to  exclaim,  "  Who  is  sufficient  for  these  things  !  "  and 
to  wonder  at  the  goodness  and  grace  of  God  "  in  counting  me 
faithful,  putting  me  into  the  ministry." 

Sensible,  however,  that  God  can  employ  the  weakest  instru- 
ment to  advance  his  cause,  and  the  chief  of  sinners  to  promote 
his  glory,  and  relying  on  the  promises  and  encouragements  of 
his  holy  word,  I  desire  to  go  forward  in  the  strength  of  the 
Lord,  to  the  arduous  work  of  the  gospel  ministry.  I  accept  the 
friendly  and  affectionate  call,  which  you  have  so  unanimously 
given  me,  to  be  your  Pastor  ;  and  shall  endeavor,  with  a  humble 
reliance  on  Divine  assistance,  to  discharge  with  faithfulness  the 
important  duties  of  the  pastoral  office.  The  satisfaction  with 
which  my  communication  has  been  received,  and  the  readiness 
with  which  my  requests  have  been  granted,  are  considered  by 


MEMOIR   OF  DR.   CODMAN.  73 

me,  as  proofs  of  your  attachment,  and  will  always  be  remem- 
bered with  lively  emotions  of  gratitude. 

The  promotion  of  that  peace,  which  is  founded  on  true 
Christian  principle,  and  not  on  carnal  security ;  and  of  that 
unanimity  J  which  is  the  effect  of  the  general  reception  of  evan- 
gelical truth,  and  not  of  indifference  to  religious  opinions,  will  be 
the  subject  of  my  prayers  and  the  object  of  my  life. 

It  will  be  my  earnest  endeaavor,  as  far  as  consistent  with  the 
faithful  discharge  of  ministerial  duty,  to  promote  peace  and 
friendship  among  the  people  of  my  charge,  to  do  all  in  my  pow- 
er to  continue  and  confirm  it  among  our  sister  Churches  and 
their  Pastors,  and  to  promote  the  best  interests  of  the  University, 
of  which  I  shall  be  an  overseer. 

And  now,  my  Christian  friends  and  brethren,  I  look  to  you 
for  encouragement,  countenance  and  support,  in  the  arduous 
work  in  which  I  have  engaged.  After  the  explicit  declaration 
which  I  have  made  in  a  late  communication,  you  can  be  no  stran- 
gers to  the  articles  of  my  faith ;  and  I  trust  you  will  unite  with 
me  *  in  holding  fast  the  form  of  sound  words  in  faith  and  love, 
in  contending  earnestly  for  the  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints, 
lest  any  man  spoil  us  through  philosophy  and  vain  deceit,  after 
the  tradition  of  men,  after  the  rudiments  of  the  world,  and  not 
after  Christ.' 

I  ask  an  interest  in  your  prayers.  Frequently  think  of  your 
Pastor  at  a  throne  of  grace.  Earnestly  pray  that  God  would 
grant  him  those  gifts  and  graces,  which  are  so  essential  to  a 
Minister  of  the  Gospel ;  and  that  he  would  make  him  faithful 
in  declaring  the  whole  counsel  of  God,  and  successful  in  win- 
ning souls  to  Christ. 

Accept  my  prayers  for  you.  Brethren,  '  my  heart's  desire  and 
prayer  to  God  for  you  is,  that  you  may  all  be  saved.'  If  I  know 
my  own  heart,  I  have  no  other  motive  in   coming  among  you 

10 


74  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

than  to  promote  your  eternal  happiness.  *  For  what  is  my  hope, 
or  joy,  or  what  will  be  my  crown  of  rejoicing  ?  Will  not  even  ye, 
in  the  presence  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  at  his  coming  ?  I  trust 
ye  will  be  my  glory  and  my  joy.'  "  And  now,  brethren,  I  com- 
mend you  to  God,  and  to  the  word  of  his  grace,  which  is  able  to 
build  you  up,  and  to  give  you  an  inheritance  among  all  them 
which  are  sanctified."  Believe  me  to  be  your  willing  servant 
in  the  gospel  of  Christ. 


Mr.  Codman  was  ordained  December  7,  1808, 
by  a  Council  consisting  of  the  following  clergy- 
men of  Boston  and  vicinity  : — Rev.  Drs.  Osgood, 
Eckley,  Porter  and  Morse,  and  Rev.  Messrs. 
Huntington,  Harris,  Pierce,  Channing,  Bates, 
Buckminster,  Lowell  and  Gile,  all  of  whom  are 
now  deceased  excepting  Rev.  Drs.  Bates  and 
Lowell.  The  following  is  the  Confession  of  Faith, 
which  was  presented  to  the  Council : 

In  conformity  to  ancient  usages  in  our  Churches,  and  with  a 
dependence  on  the  Spirit  of  God  for  illumination  and  direction, 
I  desire  humbly  and  reverently,  in  the  presence  of  Almighty 
God,  and  before  this  venerable  Council,  to  make  a  confession  of 
my  faith  in  the  great  doctrines  of  revealed  religion. 

Existence  of  God. — I  believe  in  one  God,  self-existent, 
immortal,  invisible,  unchangeable,  infinite  in  wisdom,  power  and 
goodness,  without  beginning  of  days  or  end  of  years. 

Holy  Scriptures. — I  believe  that  God,  out  of  his  sovereign 
pleasure  and  boundless  goodness,  has  been  pleased  to  reveal  his 


MEMOIR   OF  DR.   CODMAN.  75 

mind  and  will  in  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament ; 
and  I  believe  that  '*  all  Scripture  is  given  by  inspiration  of  God, 
and  is  profitable  for  doctrine,  for  reproof,  for  correction,  for 
instruction  in  righteousness." 

I  take  the  Holy  Scriptures  to  be  the  standard  of  my  faith,  and 
the  rule  of  my  practice  ;  and  not  from  the  traditions  of  men,  but 
from  that  inspired  volume  alone,  I  desire  to  form  the  articles  of 
my  creed. 

Trinity. — I  believe  that  the  Scriptures  reveal,  as  ?i  fundamen- 
tal doctrine,  that  there  are  Three  in  the  Godhead ;  the  Father, 
the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost ;  and  that  these  Three  are  the  One 
living  and  true  God,  the  true  Jehovah,  the  Christian's  covenanted 
God,  the  only  proper  object  of  religious  worship ;  and  although 
this  doctrine  is  above  my  reason,  I  believe  it  is  not  contrary  to 
it,  but  is  to  be  received  with  meekness  and  humility,  to  be 
spoken  of  with  reverence  and  godly  fear,  and  always  to  be  con- 
sidered as  a  mystery,  which  to  attempt  to  explain,  is  presump- 
tion ;  and  which  to  comprehend,  is  above  the  capacity  of  finite 
beings. 

Decrees  of  God, — I  believe  that  God,  from  all  eternity,  has 
foreordained  whatsoever  comes  to  pass ;  yet  in  such  a  manner 
as  not  to  be  the  author  of  sin,  nor  to  affect  the  accountability  of 
man.  I  believe  that  God  has  elected  some  to  everlasting  life, 
while  others  are  left  to  suffer  the  just  punishment  due  to  their 
sins. 

I  believe  that  this  doctrine  is  not  without  its  practical  uses, 
in  making  us  humble,  under  a  sense  of  our  entire  insufficiency, 
and  in  leading  us  to  attribute  our  salvation,  not  to  our  own 
works,  but  to  the  free  and  sovereign  grace  of  God. 

Creation  and  Providence. — I  believe  that  God,  the  Father, 
Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  created  the  world  and  all  things  therein, 
visible  and  invisible,  in  the  space  of  six  days,   and   that  He 


76  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

upholds  the  same  by  the  word  of  his  power,  exercising  a  general 
and  particular  providence  over  the  work  of  his  hands. 

Covenant  of  Works. — I  believe  that  God  created  man  upright, 
and  gave  him  a  law  as  the  rule  of  his  obedience,  when  he  said, 
"  Of  every  tree  of  the  garden  thou  may  est  freely  eat ;  but  of  the 
tree  of  the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil  thou  shalt  not  eat  of  it ; 
for  in  the  day  that  thou  eatest  thereof,  thou  shalt  surely  die." 
I  believe  that  it  thus  pleased  God  to  enter  into  covenant  with 
man,  and  that  the  first  covenant  made  with  man  was  a  covenant 
of  works,  "  wherein  life  was  promised  to  Adam,  and  in  him  to 
all  his  posterity,  upon  condition  of  perfect  obedience." 

The  Fall. — I  believe  that,  enticed  by  the  craft  and  subtilty 
of  the  devil,  our  first  parents  disobeyed  the  command  of  their 
Maker,  broke  his  covenant,  fell  from  the  estate  in  which  they 
were  created,  and  thus  exposed  themselves,  and  all  their  pos- 
terity, to  the  penalty  of  God's  most  righteous  law,  temporal, 
spiritual,  and  eternal  death. 

Original  Sin  and  Actual  Transgression. — I  believe  that,  in 
consequence  of  Adam's  transgression,  all  his  posterity  are,  "  by 
nature,  children  of  wrath ; "  and,  in  addition  to  this  original 
pollution,  every  one,  who  arrives  at  an  age  to  distinguish  good 
from  evil,  is  guilty  of  actual  transgression ;  and  I  believe  that 
God  might  have  left  our  first  parents,  and  all  their  posterity,  to 
have  perished  eternally,  and  his  justice  have  remained  unin- 
fringed and  unimpaired. 

Covenant  of  Grace. — But  I  believe  that,  out  of  his  free  and 
sovereign  grace,  he  has  been  pleased  to  have  mercy  on  man,  and 
to  enter  into  another  covenant  with  him,  commonly  called  the 
covenant  of  grace,  wherein  he  freely  offers  sinners  life  and 
salvation  by  Jesus  Christ,  requiring  of  them  faith  in  him,  that 
they  may  be  saved. 

Jesus  Christ. — I  believe  that  God  the  Father,  in  his  eternal 


MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN.  77 

purpose,  hath  appointed  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  to  be  the  only 
mediator  between  God  and  man  ;  and  I  believe  that,  in  the 
fullness  of  time,  the  second  person  in  the  glorious  Trinity,  who 
is  God  over  all,  blessed  forevermore,  and  who  thought  it  no 
robbery  to  be  equal  with  God  the  Father,  condescended  to  take 
upon  himself  the  human  nature,  to  be  subject  to  all  its  infirmi- 
ties, yet  without  sin.  I  believe  that  he  was  conceived  by  the 
Holy  Ghost,  born  of  the  Virgin  Mary ;  that  he  was  truly  God, 
and  truly  man ;  and  I  believe  that  this  glorious  person,  myste- 
riously uniting  the  divine  and  human  natures,  is  the  true  Christ, 
the  only  sure  foundation  upon  which  sinful  man  can  build  his 
hopes.  I  believe  that  he  fulfilled  the  violated  law  by  a  perfectly 
holy  life,  and  by  offering  himself  on  the  cross  as  a  sacrifice  for 
sin,  thereby  satisfying  the  justice  of  God,  and  making  an  atone- 
ment for  the  sins  of  men ;  so  that  *  God  can  now  be  just,  and 
justify  every  one  who  believeth  in  Jesus.'  I  believe  that  he 
descended  into  the  grave ;  that  he  rose  the  third  day  from  the 
dead;  that  he  ascended  into  heaven,  and  now  sitteth  at  the 
right  hand  of  God  the  Father,  and  ever  liveth  to  make  interces- 
sion for  his  people. 

Holy  Ghost.— I  believe  that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  the  third  per- 
son in  the  Godhead ;  and  that  it  is  his  office,  in  the  plan  of 
redemption,  to  renew  the  hearts  of  the  elect,  and  to  carry  on 
the  work  of  sanctification  until  the  day  of  Jesus  Christ. 

Regeneration. — I  believe  that  Regeneration  is  the  immediate 
work  of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  opening  the  eyes  of  the  spiritually 
blind,  taking  away  the  heart  of  stone,  and  giving  a  heart  of 
flesh ;  renewing  the  will,  and  changing  the  disposition  from  the 
love  of  sin  to  the  love  of  holiness,  and  from  the  power  of  Satan 
unto  God. 

Sanctification. — Sanctification,  I  believe  also  to  be  a  work  of 
the  Spirit,  and  to  be  a  continuation  of  the  work  of  regeneration. 


78  MEMOIE   OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

Saving  Faith. — Saving  faith  I  believe  to  be  the  gift  of  God  ; 
and  to  be  that  grace  by  which  a  sinner  receives  Christ  as  offered 
to  him  in  the  gospel,  and  relies  upon  his  merits  for  salvation. 

Justification  hy  Faith. — I  believe  that,  by  the  deeds  of  the 
law,  no  flesh  shall  be  justified ;  but  I  believe  that  all  God's 
people  are  justified  by  faith  in  the  Son  of  God,  the  righteousness 
of  Christ  being  imputed  to  them,  and  they  receiving  the  same 
by  faith. 

Adoption. — I  believe  that  those  whom  God  justifies,  he  adopts 
into  his  family,  and  makes  "  heirs  of  God  and  joint  heirs  with 
Christ." 

Repentance  unto  Life. — Repentance  unto  life  I  believe  to  be 
that  grace,  by  which  a  sinner  mourns  for  his  sins,  as  offensive  to 
a  pure  and  holy  God,  and  turns  from  them  unto  God,  resolving, 
in  the  strength  of  the  Lord,  to  keep  his  commandments. 

Good  Works. — I  believe  that  good  works,  a  holy  life,  and 
blameless  conversation,  and  a  general  conformity  to  the  moral 
law,  is  a  requisite  evidence  of  a  sincere  faith  and  repentance. 

Perseverance  of  the  Saints. — T  believe  that  those  who  are 
renewed,  justified  and  sanctified,  notwithstanding  all  the  assaults 
of  the  world,  the  flesh  and  the  devil,  shall  persevere  unto  the 
end,  and  obtain  everlasting  life. 

Invisible  and  Visible  Church. — I  believe  that  Christ  has  a 
Church  in  the  world,  and  that  the  "  gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail 
against  it."  I  believe  that  this  Church  is  invisible  and  visible  ; 
that  the  invisible  Church  consists  of  all  those  who  are,  have 
been,  or  ever  shall  be,  gathered  into  one,  under  Christ,  its  head; 
and  that  there  is  a  visible  Church,  consisting  of  all  those  who 
have  made  a  profession  of  their  faith  in  Christ,  with  their 
children.  I  believe  that  Christ  has  instituted  two  Sacraments  in 
his  Church,  Baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper. 

Baptism. — I  believe  that  Baptism  is  the  mode  which  God  has 


MEMOIR   OF   DR.   CODMAN.  79 

been  pleased  to  appoint  for  admission  into  the  visible  Church  ; 
and  is  to  be  considered  as  a  sign  and  seal  of  the  covenant  of 
grace,  and  that  it  is  to  be  administered  to  believers  and  their 
offspring  only. 

Lord's  Supper. — I  believe  that  the  Lord  has  been  pleased  to 
institute  the  Sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  in  perpetual  com- 
memoration of  his  death  and  sufferings,  to  be  observed  by  all 
his  disciples,  and  his  disciples  only,  to  the  end  of  the  world. 

Resurrection. — I  believe  that,  after  death,  the  dust  shall  return 
to  the  earth  as  it  was,  and  the  spirit  unto  God  who  gave  it ;  and 
that,  at  the  sound  of  the  last  trump,  the  dead  shall  be  raised, 
incorruptible,  and  they  which  are  alive  and  remain,  shall  be 
caught  up  in  the  clouds  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  air. 

Judgment. — I  believe  that  God  has  appointed  a  day  wherein 
he  will  judge  the  world  in  righteousness,  by  Jesus  Christ ;  when 
all  men  shall  appear  before  the  judgment-seat  of  Christ,  to  give 
an  account  of  their  thoughts,  words  and  actions,  and  to  receive 
according  to  what  they  have  done  in  the  body,  whether  good  or 
evil. 

Final  State  of  the  Righteous  and  the  Wicked. — I  believe 
that  there  are  distinct  states  prepared  for  the,  righteous  and  the 
wicked.  A  state  of  endless  felicity  for  the  righteous,  and  of 
endless  torments  for  the  wicked ;  and  that,  after  sentence  is 
pronounced,  the  wicked  "  shall  go  away  into  everlasting  pun- 
ishment, but  the  righteous  into  life  eternal." 

John  Codman. 


The  Ordination  Sermon  was  preached  by  the  late 
Rev.  Dr.  Channing.  His  subject  was,  "  The  im- 
portance of  a  zealous  and  affectionate  performance 
of    ministerial    duties."      It  was   an   earnest   and 


80  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

eloquent  exhortation  to  faithfulness  in  the  office  of 
a  minister  of  the  gospel.  The  following  are  a  few 
extracts : 

"  The  salvation  of  man  is  a  leading  object  in  the 
providence  of  God.  For  this,  the  Son  of  God  him- 
self left  the  abodes  of  glory,  and  expired  a  victim  on 
the  cross  !  For  this,  the  harmony  of  creation  was 
disturbed,  and  stupendous  miracles  were  wrought 
to  attest  the  gracious  promises  of  God.  For  this 
end  a  church  has  been  erected,  and  its  interests 
guarded,  amidst  the  convulsions  of  a  sinful  world. 
Heaven  is  gladdened  by  the  tidings,  that  a  sinner 
has  repented.  Angels  are  sent  forth  to  minister  to 
the  heirs  of  salvation.     .     .     . 

"  Of  all  the  frowns  of  Providence,  perhaps  none 
is  more  threatening  than  the  settlement  of  a  cold- 
hearted,  uninstructed  minister.  .  .  .  Negligent 
minister !  look  forward  to  the  tribunal  of  God. 
Behold  a  human  being  there  condemned,  whom  thy 
neglect  has  helped  to  destroy.  In  that  countenance 
of  anguish  and  despair,  which  might  have  beamed 
with  all  the  light  and  purity  of  heaven  ;  in  that 
voice  of  weeping  and  wailing,  which  might  have 
sung  the  sweet  and  happy  strains  of  angels,  see 
and  hear  the  ruin  which  thou  hast  made  !  And 
canst  thou  yet  be  slothful  and  unconcerned  ?  " 


MEMOIR   OF   DK.   CODMAN.  81 

After  his  settlement,  Mr.  Codman  labored  for 
about  a  year  in  quietude  and  with  great  success ; 
but  the  three  following  years  were  years  of  anxiety, 
controversy  and  trouble.  The  origin  of  these  diffi- 
culties cannot  be  explained,  except  by  a  declension, 
among  the  people,  from  the  faith  of  the  primitive 
Christians  of  Dorchester  and  of  the  first  settlers 
of  New  England.  Dorchester  was  the  third  settled 
town  in  Massachusetts,  as  distinct  from  Plymouth 
Colony,  being  next  after  Salem  and  Charlestown. 
It  was  settled  by  a  church  gathered  at  Plymouth, 
in  England,  which  arrived  at  Nantasket,  or  Hull, 
May  30,  1630,  having  two  pastors,  John  Maverick 
and  John  Warham.  The  former  died  in  1636,  and 
in  the  same  year  the  latter  removed  with  the  church 
to  Windsor,  in  Connecticut.  A  new  church  was 
formed  in  Dorchester,  August  23,  1636,  of  which 
Richard  Mather  was  the  teacher  for  thirty  years. 
He  furnished  the  model  of  our  Congregational  Plat- 
form, adopted  by  the  Synod  in  1648.  His  col- 
leagues, for  a  short  time,  were  Jonathan  Burr  and 
John  Wilson,  Jr.  The  subsequent  ministers  were, 
Josiah  Flint,  who  died  in  1680  ;  John  Danforth, 
who  died  in  1730;  Jonathan  Bowman,  from  1729 
to  1773;  Moses  Everett,  from  1774  till  his  dis- 
mission, in   1793;  and  Dr.  Thaddeus  M.  Harris, 


82  MEMOIR   OF   DR.   CODMAN. 

who  was  ordained  October  23,  1793,  and  died  in 
1842. 

In  the  Right  Hand  of  Fellowship,  delivered  at 
the  ordination  of  Mr.  Codman,  Dr.  Harris  said,  in 
speaking  of  the  inhabitants  of  Dorchester,  who  had 
been  under  his  pastoral  care  for  fifteen  years : 
*'  Standing  fast  in  one  spirit,  and  striving  together 
for  the  faith  of  the  gospel^  they  have  paid  little 
attention  to  lesser  matters  and  words  of  doubtful 
disputation,  and  have  been  indoctrinated  rather  in 
those  important  truths  of  religion,  in  which  all 
agree,  than  in  those  speculative  topics  about  which 
so  many  differ.  The  modern  distinctions  of  sect 
and  party  are  scarcely  known,  and  have  never  been 
advocated  among  them.  To  be  disciples  and  fol- 
lowers of  the  Lord  Jesus,  has  been  their  only 
endeavor  ;  and  to  be  called  Christians,  the  only 
appellation  by  which  they  have  aimed  or  desired  to 
be  distinguished.  Enter,  my  Brother,  into  these 
my  labors.  In  this  portion  of  the  vineyard,  may 
you  find  the  vines  flourishing  and  the  clusters  fair, 
and  gather  fruit  unto  everlasting  life  ! " 

If,  in  his  subsequent  experience,  Mr.  Codman 
was  tempted  to  say,  "  Their  grapes  are  grapes  of 
gall,  their  clusters  are  bitter,"  yet  he  could  hardly 
doubt,   that  it  was  in  consequence  of  his  plainly 


MEMOIR  OF  DR.   CODMAN.  83 

preaching  those  doctrines,  of  which  he  expressed 
his  belief  in  his  '  Confession  of  Faith,'  and  earn- 
estly enforcing  them  upon  the  conscience. 

The  controversy  which  ensued,  assumed  at  the 
outset  the  ostensible  form  of  a  question,  '  Whether 
he  had  the  right  of  refusing  to  exchange  pulpits, 
indiscriminately,  with  the  neighboring  ministers, 
with  some  of  whom  he  did  not  agree  in  religious 
sentiment,  and  whose  teachings  he  did  not  think 
would  be  profitable  to  the  souls  of  his  people  ?  '  At 
a  parish  meeting,  it  was  voted,  that  he  "  be  re- 
quested to  exchange  with  the  ministers  who  com- 
pose the  Boston  Association."  His  reply  was  in 
accordance  with  his  reserved  rights  in  his  letter 
accepting  his  call,  that  he  could  not  "  pledge  him- 
self to  exchange  pulpits  with  any  man,  or  any  body 
of  men  whatever."  He  added :  "  At  the  same 
time  you  may  rest  assured  that,  in  my  exchanges, 
as  in  every  part  of  ministerial  duty,  it  will  be  my 
endeavor,  as  it  always  has  been,  to  conciliate  the 
affections  and  to  promote  the  peace  and  happiness, 
but  especially  the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  people 
committed  to  my  charge." 

In  consequence  of  this  reply,  the  parish  voted, 
by  a  small  majority,  that  the  connection  between 
them  and  their  minister,  "  become  extinct."     This, 


84  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

of  course,  was  not  in  itself  an  effective  measure. 
In  the  progress  of  the  proceedings  at  this  period, 
seventy-three  male  members  of  his  parish  presented 
to  him  an  affectionate  address,  in  which  they  said : 
"  Nearly  all  your  parishioners  appear  satisfied  with 
your  performances,  and  acknowledge  you  have  con- 
formed to  the  doctrines  and  principles  held  out  to 
us  in  your  communication,  previous  to  your  ordina- 
tion ;  and  the  foundation  of  the  difficulties,  pro- 
fessedly, is  your  declining  to  exchange  ministerial 
labors  with  the  Association  of  Ministers  to  which 
you  belong."  They  also  acknowledge,  that  the 
right  was  vested  in  him,  "  by  the  custom  of  ages, 
to  decide  in  respect  to  exchanges."  This  was 
followed  by  an  address,  admirably  written,  from 
one  hundred  and  eighty-one  female  members  of  his 
parish,  which  must  have  been  most  consoling  and 
refreshing  to  his  heart.  They  say :  "  We,  beloved 
sir,  when  you  were  settled  as  our  pastor,  echoed 
the  voice  of  joy  that  proceeded  from  our  husbands, 
fathers,  brothers  and  friends ;  and,  although  we 
could  not  become  public  advocates  for  your  settle- 
ment, the  eye  of  approbation  disclosed  the  happi- 
ness of  the  heart.  The  power  of  sympathy  has 
never  been  denied  us  ;  the  virtue  of  sincerity  we 
hope  is  not  withheld.     With  affectionate  sympathy 


MEMOIR   OF  DR.   CODMAN.  85 

and  Christian  sincerity,  we  beseech  you  to  bear  up 
against  the  host  of  troubles  that  beset  you,  and, 
like  a  good  soldier  of  Christ,  having  on  the  whole 
armor  of  the  gospel,  we  hope  you  will  fight  man- 
fully, and  come  off  conqueror,  and  more  than  con- 
queror, in  this  important  conflict." 

These  women  added  in  their  address:  "You  have 
this  consolation,  and  our  hearts  gratefully  bear  wit- 
ness to  the  truth,  that  your  preaching  has  not  been 
in  vain ;  but  that,  by  a  blessing  attending  your 
faithful  and  affectionate  administrations  of  the 
word,  many  of  us  have  been  awakened,  comforted, 
animated  and  strengthened." 

In  the  course  of  this  controversy,  the  parish 
instructed  a  committee  to  write  to  the  ministers, 
with  whom  Mr.  Codman  had  been  in  the  habit  of 
exchanging,  to  request  them  not  to  preach  in  his 
pulpit  again,  until  difficulties  were  settled.  The 
ministers  written  to  were.  Rev.  Drs.  Morse,  Bates, 
Griffin  and  Strong,  and  Rev.  Messrs.  Greenough, 
Homer,  Gile  and  Huntington.  But  the  committee 
fell  into  the  blunder  of  thus  addressing  two  mem- 
bers of  the  Boston  Association,  when  the  very 
complaint  against  their  pastor  was,  that  he  would 
not  engage  to  exchange  with  the  ministers  of  that 
Association.     It  was  thus  betrayed,   that  the  real 


86  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

objection  was  to  the  religious  faith  of  the  ministers 
exchanged  with. 

Rev.  Dr.  Bates,  in  his  reply,  inquired  by  what 
right  he  was  interdicted  from  preaching  in  exchange 
with  a  brother  minister,  and  why  he  was  thus  cen- 
sured and  proscribed,  and  his  ministerial  character 
impeached  ?  For  his  refusal  to  yield  to  their  re- 
quest, he  assigned  four  reasons :  that  his  compliance 
would  lend  a  sanction  to  such  irregular  proceedings 
as  the  interference  of  a  parish  with  matters  purely 
ecclesiastical ;  that  it  would  be  taking  a  part  in  a 
parochial  controversy ;  that  it  would  be,  in  fact,  a 
denouncement  of  a  brother  in  the  ministry,  whom 
he  esteemed  and  loved,  and  regarded  as  a  faithful 
minister  of  Jesus  Christ ;  and  that  it  would  have 
no  tendency  to  promote  their  lasting  peace  and 
happiness. 

Rev.  Dr.  Morse,  in  his  reply,  alluded  to  the  fact 
of  his  being  a  member  of  the  council  which  settled 
Mr.  Codman,  and  also  a  member  of  the  same 
Boston  Association^  saying,  "  There  is  an  obvious 
inconsistency  in  requesting  me  not  to  preach  in  his 
pulpit,  merely  because,  in  his  exchanges,  he  selects 
members  of  other  Associations  in  preference  to  those 
of  his  own."  .  ..."  In  conformity  to  the 
usages  of  the  churches,  from  time  immemorial,  he 


MEMOIR   OF   DR.   CODMAN.  87 

maintains  the  right  of  inviting  whom  he  pleases 
into  his  pulpit." 

When,  in  the  course  of  the  controversy,  it  was 
agreed  that  a  mutual  council  should  be  called,  six 
of  the  ministerial  members  were  chosen  by  the 
pastor,  and  six  by  the  parish  committee.  By  the 
pastor  the  following  ministers  were  chosen  :  Rev. 
Dr.  Prentiss  of  Medfield,  Rev.  Dr.  Lyman  of 
Hatfield,  Rev.  William  Greenough  of  Newton, 
Rev.  Dr.  Austin  of  Worcester,  Rev.  Dr.  Morse  of 
Charlestown,  and  Rev.  Dr.  Worcester  of  Salem; 
and  by  the  parish  committee.  Rev.  John  Reed  of 
Bridgewater,  Rev.  Richard  R.  Elliot  of  Water- 
town,  Rev.  Thomas  Thacher  of  Dedham,  Rev. 
Dr.  Bancroft  of  Worcester,  Rev.  Dr.  Kendall  of 
Weston,  and  Rev.  Nathaniel  Thayer  of  Lancaster. 

The  council  met,  October  30,  ISIL  The  cause, 
on  the  part  of  the  parish,  was  conducted  by  Hon. 
Samuel  Dexter  and  Benjamin  Parsons,  Esq.,  and 
on  the  part  of  Mr.  Codman,  by  Dr.  Bates  and 
Daniel  Davis,  Esq.,  Solicitor  General.  There  were 
various  charges  of  imprudence  or  immorality,  but 
their  inventors  did  not  seem  to  attach  any  impor- 
tance to  them  ;  and  the  agents  of  the  parish  de- 
clared, in  the  public  hearing,  that,  if  the  affair  of 
exchanges  was  yielded,  all  other  difficulties  could 


88  MEMOIR  OF  Dll.   CODMAN. 

be  settled  in  five  minutes.  In  the  result,  the  charges 
in  general  were  pronounced  "  not  supported,"  or 
unimportant.  The  great  question  was,  '  Whether 
Mr.  Codman  should  be  censured  for  his  course  in 
regard  to  exchanges  ?  '  And  on  this,  the  council 
were  equally  divided. 

That  the  six  ministers,  chosen  by  the  parish, 
should  vote  for  this  censure,  showed  very  plainly 
their  sympathy  with  their  employers,  and  that  a 
marked  and  well  understood  division,  at  this  early 
period,  existed  among  the  ministers  of  Massachu- 
setts. 

The  arguments  on  each  side  were,  in  substance, 
as  follows  :  on  the  part  of  the  parish,  it  was 
claimed,  that,  to  decline  so  long  to  exchange  with 
the  members  of  the  Boston  Association,  was  a 
refusal  which  amounted  to  a  denial  of  their  minis- 
terial character,  a  condemnation  of  a  respectable 
body  of  men,  an  impeachment  of  their  fidelity,  and 
tended  to  stigmatise  them  as  heretics  ;  that  it  was 
a  needless  scruple,  for  none  of  them,  in  his  pulpit, 
would  enter  upon  controverted  topics  ;  that  it  was 
an  interruption  of  the  harmony,  peace  and  charity, 
which  should  prevail  among  neighboring  societies 
and  their  ministers  ;  that  a  diversity  in  opinion  was 
no  ground  for  a  refusal  of  communion  ;    and  that 


MEMOIR  OF  DE.  CODMAN.  8^ 

although  the  minister  had  the  control  of  his  ex- 
changes, yet  the  people,  too,  had  their  rights,  and, 
if  their  wishes  were  not  regarded,  it  was  a  reason 
for  the  dismission  of  their  minister. 

On  the  part  of  Mr.  Codman,  it  was  said,  that  he 
had  given  no  pledge  and  made  no  promise  in  regard 
to  exchanges,  yet  he  was  always  ready  to  perform 
what  he  should  find  to  be  his  duty ;  that  there  was 
now  an  attempt  to  impose  upon  him  a  compulsory 
system  of  exchanges,  unknown  in  the  history  of 
the  Protestant  churches ;  that,  even  in  the  Boston 
Association,  there  is  no  such  compulsion,  for  some 
of  its  members  have  exchanged  with  the  others, 
and  therefore,  by  joining  that  Association,  there 
was  no  implied  engagement  as  to  exchanges  ;  that 
a  minister  is  responsible  for  the  religious  instruc- 
tions which,  by  his  means,  are  given  to  his  people, 
and,  therefore,  he  would  be  criminal  in  introducing 
a  preacher  of  pernicious  error ;  that  he  may  have 
very  good  and  satisfactory  reasons  for  neglecting  to 
exchange,  when  the  public  announcement  of  these 
reasons  might  be  improper ;  that  if  he  himself 
preaches  the  true  doctrines  of  the  gospel,  and  ex- 
changes with  ministers  who  preach  the  same,  his 
people  have  no  reason  to  complain ;  that  to  allow 
of  a  parish  interference  on  this  subject  would  lead 

13 


90  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

to  contention  and  incalculable  evil,  for  it  would  be 
impossible  to  satisfy  individual  preferences  and 
wishes,  and  even  a  vote  of  a  majority  might  be 
variable  from  time  to  time,  as  had  already  been 
experienced ;  that  the  clamor  in  favor  of  liberality, 
charity,  candor  and  harmony,  was  very  absurd,  for 
charity  "  rejoiceth  in  the  truth,"  and  the  minister 
is  set  for  the  defence  and  the  promotion  of  the 
truth,  nor  was  there  any  charity  and  candor  in 
allowing  that  all  others  were  preachers  of  the  truth, 
against  the  most  notorious  evidence  to  the  con- 
trary ;  that  Mr,  Codman  brought  no  charges,  how- 
ever, against  any  one,  but  only  maintained  the  right 
of  private  judgment  in  regard  to  his  duty  on  the 
point  of  indiscriminate  exchanges  ;  and  that  it  was 
indeed  most  wonderful,  that  in  a  region  deemed 
the  most  liberal  and  free,  enlightened  and  catholic, 
in  the  world,  there  should  be  this  attempt  to  sub- 
ject a  minister  to  a  system  of  compulsion. 

The  precise  form  of  the  motion,  on  which  the 
ministers  and  delegates  were  equally  divided,  was 
as  follows  :  "  That,  in  the  opinion  of  this  council, 
the  aggrieved  brethren  and  the  majority  of  this 
parish,  have  just  cause  of  complaint  against  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Codman,  for  having  neglected  to  exchange 
ministerial  labors  with  the  ministers  of  the  Boston 


MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN.  91 

Association  generally."  Had  this  motion  prevailed, 
the  purpose  was  avowed  of  introducing  another 
motion,  advising  the  dismission  of  Mr.  Codman, 
unless  he  would  pledge  himself  on  the  subject  of 
exchanges. 

After  this  first  council,  the  opposers  of  the  pastor, 
instead  of  sitting  down  quietly  under  his  ministerial 
labors,  persisted  in  their  efforts  to  effect  his  re- 
moval. They  demanded  another  mutual  council, 
on  the  failure  of  which  proposition  the  parish  com- 
mittee was  instructed  to  call  an  ex  parte  council, 
and  submit  to  it  two  questions  :  First,  "  Whether 
Mr.  Codman  had  not  given  just  cause  of  complaint 
in  regard  to  exchanges?"  Secondly,  "Whether 
his  dismission  should  not  take  place,  on  account  of 
the  divided  and  unhappy  state  of  the  parish  ?  " 

As  the  parish  were  determined  to  prosecute  the 
controversy,  the  church  took  measures  to  give  their 
minister  all  the  support  in  their  power.  In  a  report 
of  their  committee,  they  say  :  **  After  three  years 
have  elapsed,  we  are  not  able  to  perceive  that  he 
has  deviated  from  the  course  of  conduct  which  he 
then  so  explicitly  prescribed  to  himself.  On  the 
contrary,  we  feel  cfurselves  constrained  to  declare 
that,  in  the  services  of  the  pulpit,  he  has  laboriously 
and  zealously  inculcated  those  doctrines  which  he 


92  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

then  professed,  and  has  followed  them  by  pressing 
on  the  conscience  and  the  heart  the  duties  of  Chris- 
tianity. In  his  private  intercourse  with  the  mem- 
bers of  his  church  and  parish,  we  recognize  the 
disinterested,  self-denying,  beneficent  spirit  of  the 
gospel.  Large  additions  have  been  made  to  our 
number  under  his  ministry,  the  attention  of  our 
youth  has  been  directed  to  religion,  and  the  fruits 
of  the  Spirit  have  appeared,  as  we  conceive,  in  the 
increase  of  vital  and  practical  piety." 

Among  the  reasons  which  they  assign  for  not 
consenting  to  the  dismission  of  their  pastor,  one  is, 
that  they  believe  the  complaint  against  him,  "  with 
respect  to  exchanges,  has  been,  with  many,  only 
ostensible ;  and  that  opposition  to  his  religious  doc- 
trines is  the  radical  cause  of  complaint  and  dissatis- 
faction, which,  we  have  reason  to  fear,  would  not 
cease  or  become  more  tolerable,  unless  his  friends 
would  sacrifice  their  own  principles  and  feelings, 
and  become  entirely  subservient  to  those,  whose 
high  professions  of  liberality  do  not  preserve  them 
from  the  greatest  intolerance." 


MEMOIE  OF  DE.  CODMAN.  93 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  CONTEOVEBSY  CONTINUED  —  A  SECOND  COUNCIL  —  DOCTRINAL 
ERRORS  OF  THE  TIMES  — VIOLENCE  OF  THE  OPPOSITION  —  CLOSE  OF 
THE  DIFHCULTIES  —  LETTER  OF  REV.  DR.  MILLER  —  MARRIAGE  OF 
MR.  CODMAN  —  FAMILY  AFFLICTION  AND  ILL  HEALTH. 

All  attempts  for  the  settlement  of  the  contro- 
versy having  failed,  another  mutual  council  was 
agreed  upon.  This  second  council,  which  met 
May  12,  1812,  consisted  of  nine  ministers,  four  of 
whom  were  chosen  by  Mr.  Codman  and  his  friends, 
and  four  by  his  opponents.  Rev.  Dr.  Lathrop,  of 
West  Springfield,  was  chosen  moderator  and  umpire, 
by  mutual  agreement.  Those  chosen  by  the  friends 
of  Mr.  Codman  were,  Rev.  Daniel  Dana  of  New- 
buryport,  Rev.  Samuel  Stearns  of  Bedford,  Rev. 
Drs.  Prentiss  of  Medfield,  and  Worcester  of  Salem ; 
and  by  the  parish.  Rev.  Dr.  Barnard  of  Salem,  Rev. 
Dr.  Reed  of  Bridgewater,  Rev.  John  Allyne  of 
Duxbury,  and  Rev.  Nathaniel  Thayer  of  Lancaster. 
The  direct  question  was  now  proposed,  '  Whether 
the  dismission  of  the  pastor  was  expedient  ?  '     The 


94  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

eight  ministers,  with  their  delegates,  being  equally 
divided  in  their  vote,  the  moderator,  Dr.  Lathrop, 
gave  his  decision  in  the  negative.  At  the  same 
time,  in  explanation  of  his  vote,  he  stated,  that  he 
gave  it  in  the  belief  that  Mr.  Codman  "  would 
open  a  more  free  and  liberal  intercourse  with  his 
ministerial  brethren,  and  thus  remove  the  only 
objection  alleged  against  him,  and  the  only  reason 
urged  for  his  dismission.  Failing  to  do  this,"  he 
said,  "  if  again  called  to  vote,  he  should  vote  for 
his  dismission." 

To  many  of  his  friends  and  those  of  Mr.  Cod- 
man,  this  expression  of  his  views  was  very  unsatis- 
factory. It  was  attributed  to  his  mistaken  judgment 
concerning  the  actual  state  of  religious  opinion 
among  the  members  of  the  Boston  Association.  It 
has  been  stated,  that  he  supposed  they  agreed  with 
him  in  receiving  the  doctrines  of  grace,  particularly 
the  doctrines  of  the  atonement,  of  justification  by 
faith,  and  of  the  renewing  and  sanctifying  opera- 
tions of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Had  he  been  aware  that 
they  differed  in  sentiment  among  themselves,  from 
rigid  Calvinism  down  to  the  lowest  Socinianism,  it 
is  highly  improbable  that  he  would  have  approved 
of  an  indiscriminate  exchange  ;  and,  by  "  a  more 
free  and  liberal  intercourse,"  he  must  have  intended 


MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN.  95 

only  an  exchange  with  a  part  of  them.  In  such  a 
condition  of  things,  it  is  evident  that  every  minister 
must  be  left  to  his  own  judgment  and  conscience  in 
the  matter  of  exchanges. 

The  parish  committee  still  insisted  that  Mr. 
Codman  should  exchange  with  twelve  ministers, 
whom  they  named.  Although  he  actually  ex- 
changed with  two  of  them,  this  did  not  satisfy  his 
opponents.  In  a  letter  to  him,  they  asked  :  "  Are 
one  or  two  stars,  though  of  the  first  magnitude,  to 
content  us  for  the  light  which  might  be  derived 
from  all  the  planets  of  our  system,  revolving  in 
regular  succession  ? "  Mr.  Codman  might,  per- 
haps, have  had  reason  to  think,  that  some  of  these 
"  stars  "  were  not  the  regular  and  useful  lights  of 
heaven,  but  distant,  wandering  planets,  reflecting 
but  few  rays  from  the  fountain  of  light  in  our 
Christian  system. 

As  to  this  variety  of  opinion,  and  the  extreme 
errors  into  which  some  of  the  members  of  the 
Boston  Association  had  fallen,  the  following  re- 
markable statement  was  made  in  a  review  of  two 
pamphlets  relating  to  the  Dorchester  controversy, 
which  was  published  in  the  Panoplist,  in  1814,  said 
to  have  been  written  by  Jeremiah  Evarts,  Esq.,  a 
delegate  from  the  church  in  Charlestown  to  the 
first  council. 


96  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

"  The  following  opinions,"  he  sajs,  "  are  held 
bj  one  or  another  of  that  Association,  vi2  :  That 
Christ  was  a  mere  man  ;  that  no  such  doctrine  as 
that  of  the  atonement  is  taught  in  the  Scriptures  ; 
that  the  idea  of  an  atonement  is  perfectly  ridicu- 
lous ;  that  the  common  opinion  of  conversion  is 
fanatical ;  that  reason  is  superior  to  revelation  ;  that 
the  religion  of  nature  is  of  higher  authority  than 
book  religion  ;  that  repentance  of  sin  is  all  that  is 
required  for  the  enjoyment  of  happiness,  here  or 
hereafter  ;  that  men  are  justified  by  their  works  ; 
that  those  who  do  not  repent  in  this  world,  will 
become  wiser  and  repent,  and  be  happy  in  the 
future  world  ;  that  there  will  be  no  general  judg- 
ment ;  that  the  soul  sleeps  with  the  body  from 
death  to  the  resurrection ;  that  Christ  made  but 
two  considerable  additions  to  the  religion  of  man- 
kind, viz.,  the  fact  of  the  resurrection  of  the  body, 
and  the  institution  of  the  Christian  ministry ;  that 
the  soul  of  man  is  material ;  and  many  other  un- 
scriptural  notions.  This  description  is  not  given 
without  consideration.  With  respect  to  every  one 
of  these  opinions,  we  have  either  heard  it  delivered 
from  the  pulpit,  in  unequivocal  terms,  by  some 
member  of  the  Boston  Association,  or  have  been 
assured   by  competent   witnesses,  that   it   was   so 


MEMOIR   OF   DR.   CODMAN.  97 

delivered,  or  that  it  was  clearly  and  expressly  main- 
tained in  conversation.  All  but  two  of  these  opin- 
ions have  been  delivered  from  the  pulpit ;  and  most 
probably  they  have  also." 

On  the  subject  of  exchanges,  the  council  unani- 
mously agreed  in  the  following  declaration  :  "  While 
they  view  it  an  important  privilege  of  the  Christian 
minister  to  regulate  his  exchanges  with  his  breth- 
ren, according  to  the  unbiassed  dictates  of  his  own 
mind,  they  are  sensible  that  this  right  ought  to  be 
exercised  with  prudence  and  tenderness.  If  he 
treat  with  wanton  disregard,  either  the  wishes  of 
his  people  or  the  sensibilities  of  his  ministerial 
brethren,  he  is  undoubtedly  culpable.  Errors  of 
this  kind,  however,  are  of  different  degrees,  and 
are  not  all  to  be  treated  with  the  same  severity." 

The  difficulties  were  not  ended,  but  matters  soon 
came  to  a  crisis.  At  a  meeting  of  the  parish 
November  24,  1812,  it  was  again  voted  by  the 
parish  to  dismiss  their  pastor.  On  the  following 
Sunday,  they  placed  another  minister  in  the  pulpit, 
with  a  guard  on  the  pulpit  stairs,  so  that  Mr. 
Codman  was  obliged  to  preach  from  the  platform 
below  the  pulpit;  and,  after  preaching,  he  retired 
with  his  congregation.  The  parish  preacher  then 
went  through  his  services,  and,  in   the  afternoon, 

13 


98  MEMOIR   OF   DR.   CODMAN. 

performed  a  second  service,  at  the  close  of  which 
Mr.  Codman  regained  his  pulpit  and  went  through 
his  usual  labors,  having  some  hundreds  of  hearers ; 
while  the  other  preacher,  much  to  the  confusion 
of  the  opposition,  had  only  about  fifty. 

This  strange  and  unheard-of  outrage  was  so 
revolting  to  the  public  sense  of  decorum,  in  the 
minds  of  men  of  all  religious  denominations,  that 
the  opposers  of  Mr.  Codman,  by  this  step,  anni- 
hilated at  once  their  own  power  and  gave  to 
him  the  triumph.  They  soon  agreed  to  sell  their 
pews  and  to  retire  from  the  parish.  And  thus 
was  the  pastor  left  perfectly  free  on  the  subject 
of  exchanges ;  and  the  parish  now  voted  as  fol- 
lows :  "  As  it  is  the  important  privilege  of  the 
Christian  minister  to  regulate  his  exchanges  with 
his  brethren  according  to  the  unbiassed  dictates 
of  his  own  mind  and  conscience,  we  think  it 
expedient  that  the  parish  should  agree,  that  Mr. 
Codman  should  not  be  confined  in  his  exchanges, 
the  advice  of  any  council  or  member  thereof  not- 
withstanding ;  as  the  advice  that  was  given  was 
upon  the  expectation,  that  the  disaffected  were  to 
continue  active  members  of  the  parish,  which  is 
not  now  the  case ;  and  that  the  exercise  of  this 
privilege    shall    not   again  be  made  the  subject  of 


MEMOIR   OF  DR.  CODMAN.  99 

complaint  before  an  ecclesiastical  council  in  this 
parish." 

It  appears  that,  at  this  time,  of  one  hundred  and 
fifty  church  members,  all  but  seven  or  eight  were 
anxious  to  retain  their  pastor ;  which  may  show  how 
very  unjust  and  oppressive,  in  respect  to  the  church, 
would  have  been  the  triumph  of  the  opposers  of 
the  minister  in  the  parish. 

In  arranging  the  terms  of  compromise,  it  was 
agreed  by  those  who  were  disaffected  towards  Mr. 
Codman,  that  they  would  sell  their  pews  and  cease 
to  act  in  the  concerns  of  the  parish.  The  value 
of  the  pews  purchased  was  about  ten  thousand  dol- 
lars ;  and  of  these  there  remained  in  the  hands  of 
Mr.  Codman,  after  a  year  or  two,  pews  to  the  value 
of  about  three  thousand  dollars,  which  were  readily 
rented.  The  seceders,  in  1813,  built  a  new  meet- 
ing-house, and  became  a  distinct  and  Unitarian 
parish. 

Thus  ended  this  protracted  controversy.  "  It 
was  conducted,"  says  the  Rev.  Dr.  'Storrs  in  his 
funeral  discourse,  "  on  the  part  of  the  youthful 
pastor,  with  a  moderation  and  Christian  heroism, 
rarely  exhibited  on  the  broad  arena  of  ecclesiastical 
strife,  even  by  men  of  riper  years.  It  was  the 
cause  of  Heaven  and  of  vital  Christianity,  which  he 


100  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

defended ;  it  was  to  maintain  the  faith  of  the  Puri- 
tan fathers  and  their  descendants,  the  Warhams, 
the  Mavericks,  and  the  Mathers,  who  had  preceded 
him  in  this  fair  field,  that  he  strove  ;  it  was  to  win 
souls  to  Christ  and  prepare  them  for  the  heavenly 
city,  to  the  exclusion  of  every  personal  considera- 
tion and  private  interest,  that  he  hazarded  reputa- 
tion, endured  reviling,  and  emulated  in  fortitude  the 
martyr  at  the  stake." 

Beyond  all  doubt,  this  was  a  very  important  con- 
troversy in  respect  to  the  interests  of  truth,  the 
honor  of  the  pure  gospel,  the  character  of  the  evan- 
gelical ministry,  and  the  rights  and  the  welfare  of 
the  churches.  It  was  so  felt  beyond  the  bounds 
of  New  England,  as  is  evinced  by  the  following 
letter,  written  in  the  period  of  this  controversy, 
by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Miller,  who,  after  the  lapse  of 
nearly  forty  years  from  its  date,  recently  died  at 
Princeton,  where  he  had  long  been  one  of  the 
eminent  professors  in  the  theological  seminary  there 
established. 

New  York,  November  19,  1810. 

My    Dear    Brother  :  —  I   have    heard    of   your    troubles. 

Strange  that   a  set  of  men  who  profess  to  cultivate  the  spirit, 

which  may  be  called  liberality  itself,  should  be  so  illiberal   and 

intolerant  towards  an  orthodox  brother  !     But  we  may  cease  to 


MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN.  101 

wonder.  If  it  were  not  so,  neither  the  conclusion  of  reason  nor 
of  Scripture  would  be  fulfilled. 

I  hope  and  believe,  my  dear  brother,  from  what  I  hear,  that 
you  are  determined,  whatever  may  occur,  to  adhere  to  your 
original  resolution  respecting  exchanges  with  ministers  of 
heterodox  or  doubtful  sentiments.  I  am  as  firmly  persuaded  that 
it  is  your  duty  to  do  so,  as  I  am  that  it  is  your  duty  rather  to 
suffer  martyrdom,  than  to  deny  the  Lord  that  bought  you.  I 
know  that  some  good  men  are  of  a  different  opinion,  or  at  least 
feel  doubtful  on  the  subject.  But  the  more  I  have  reflected  on 
it,  the  more  my  mind  has  become  fixed  in  the  conclusion,  that  no 
minister,  situated  as  you  are,  can  possibly  recede  from  the  ground 
you  have  taken,  without  yielding  a  most  important  advantage  to 
the  enemy,  and  without  inflicting  a  deep  and  lasting  injury  on 
the  cause  of  truth. 

Exchanging  with  ministers  of  known  or  suspected  heterodoxy, 
appears  to  me  inconsistent  with  fidelity  to  our  Master  in  heaven. 
With  the  principles  which  we  hold,  we  should  not  dare  to  preach 
to  our  people  a  false  Gospel.  We  should  consider  ourselves,  in 
this  case,  as  falling  under  the  awful  denunciation  of  the  Apostle, 
Gal.  i.  9  :  "  If  any  man  preach  any  other  Gospel  unto  you  than 
that  ye  have  received,  let  him  be  accursed."  But  if  we  dare  not 
preach  another  Gospel  ourselves,  can  we  be  innocently  accessory 
to  this  sin  being  committed  by  others  ?  And  is  not  deliberately 
sending  a  man  into  our  pulpits,  whom  we  suspect  and  more  than 
suspect  of  heresy,  fundamental  heresy,  something  very  like  being 
accessory  to  the  propagation  of  that  heresy  ?  It  is  by  no  means 
a  sufficient  answer  to  this  argument  to  say,  that  the  persons  thus 
sent/»to  our  pulpits,  may  not  openly  preach  their  peculiar  senti- 
ments. Even  if  ihefact  were  so,  it  by  no  means  relieves  the 
difficulty ;  because  the  very  circumstance  of  our  people  seeing 
us  receive  a  heretic  and  practically  bid  him  God-speed,  will  tend 


102  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

exceedingly  to  diminish  their  abhorrence  of  his  heresy,  and  to 
make  them  suppose,  either  that  we  consider  it  to  be  a  very  small 
evil,  or  that  we  are  very  inconsistent  if  not  dishonest  men.  But 
the  fact  is  not  commonly  so.  These  men  generally  preach  in 
such  a  way,  that  attentive  hearers  may  readily  perceive  that  they 
reject  every  fundamental  article  of  evangelical  truth.  They  are 
not  only  betrayed  by  their  omissions,  but  also,  at  every  turn,  by 
their  phraseology  and  by  their  theological  language  ;  so  that,  in 
fact,  they  seldom  enter  our  pulpits  without  holding  out  to  our 
people  false  grounds  of  hope.  And  is  this  a  small  evil  ?  I  must 
conclude  that  the  minister,  who  views  it  in  this  light,  has  not  well 
considered  the  subject. 

But  solemn  as  this  consideration  is,  there  is  another,  which 
appears  to  me  in  every  respect  equally  solemn.  It  is  the  tendency 
of  the  system  of  exchanging  with  heterodox  ministers,  to  banish 
the  peculiar  doctrines  of  the  Gospel  from  our  own  sermons  and 
our  own  pulpits.  I  assume,  as  the  basis  of  this  argument,  that 
preaching  the  peculiar  doctrines  of  the  Gospel  in  a  plain,  pointed 
and  pungent  manner,  is  the  duty  of  every  Christian  minister  ; 
and  that,  without  this,  he  cannot  expect  the  divine  blessing  on 
his  labors,  or  hope  to  see  real  religion  flourishing  among  the 
people  of  his  charge.  I  verily  believe,  that  if  an  orthodox  min- 
ister could,  in  conscience,  leave  out  of  his  sermons  all  the  pecu- 
liar and  fundamental  doctrines  of  the  Gospel ;  if,  without  preach- 
ing anything  contrary  to  them,  he  were  silent  respecting  the 
total  depravity  of  our  nature,  regeneration,  the  divinity  and 
atonement  of  Christ,  &c.  &c. ;  or  if,  to  put  the  case  in  the  most 
favorable  light,  he  sometimes  advanced  those  doctrines,  but 
always  did  it  in  a  concealed,  wrapped  up  manner ;  I  verily  be- 
lieve, that  by  pursuing  this  course  for 'twenty  years,  he  would 
banish  religion  from  his  church  and  prepare  his  people  for  becom- 
ing Arminians,  Arians,  Socinians,  Deists,  or  any  thing  that  the 


MEMOIR   OF  DR.   CODMAN.  103 

advocates  of  error  might  wish  and  endeavor  to  make  them.  If 
I  wished  to  banish  religion  from  my  church  in  the  most  effectual 
manner,  I  certainly  should  not  come  forward  openly  and  preach 
heresy.  This  would  excite  attention,  inquiry,  and  opposition. 
But  I  would  endeavor  to  lull  my  people  asleep  by  simply  with- 
holding the  truth ;  and  should  expect  to  succeed,  by  this  method, 
with  the  least  trouble  and  in  the  shortest  time  possible.  Now 
this  negligent,  spiritless,  smooth  kind  of  preaching,  is  precisely 
that  which  frequent  exchanges  with  the  heterodox  is  calculated 
to  produce.  The  most  pious  and  faithful  minister  living,  when 
he  goes  to  the  pulpit  of  a  heretical  brother,  is  under  the  strongest 
temptation,  if  not  absolutely  to  keep  hack  truth  which  he  sup- 
poses would  be  offensive,  at  least  in  a  considerable  degree  to 
soften  and  polish  it  down,  that  it  may  be  received  with  as  little 
irritation  as  possible.  Accordingly,  he  will  be  apt  to  take  with 
him  to  such  a  place,  a  discourse  prepared  upon  this  plan.  If  his 
exchanges  be  frequent,  he  will  often  prepare  such  discourses.  If 
they  become  habitual,  he  will  habitually  preach  those.  The 
consequence  is  as  evident,  as  it  is  dreadful.  To  expect  that  a 
man  who  prepares  many  such  sermons,  will  preach  none  of  them 
to  his  own  people,  is  an  expectation  not  to  be  entertained.  And 
to  hope  that  the  mind  of  that  man  who  preaches  frequently  in 
this  strain,  will  suffer  no  diminution  either  of  evangelical  zeal  or 
of  ministerial  faithfulness,  is  certainly  an  unreasonable  hope.  I 
think  there  can  be  no  doubt,  that  the  Apostle  Paul,  with  all  the 
ardor  of  his  zeal  for  the  truth  and  with  all  the  tenderness  of  his 
love  to  the  souls  of  men,  could  not,  without  a  miracle,  have 
withstood  the  influence  of  such  a  habit ;  and  that,  if  he  had  in- 
dulged in  it  for  one  or  two  years,  he  would  have  been  found  at 
the  end  of  that  time  a  less  pointed,  a  less  faithful,  and  less  suc- 
cessful preacher,  than  before. 

You  will  perceive  then  my  impression  to  be,  that  exchange  in 


104  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

ministerial  services  with  the  heterodox,  is  not  only  unfaithfulness 
to  our  Maker  and  his  cause,  but  that  it  also  tends  to  produce  the 
most  unhappy  effects  on  the  mind  and  in  the  strain  of  preaching 
of  the  orthodox  themselves  ;  that,  if  habitually  practiced,  it  can 
scarcely  fail  to  lower  the  evangelical  tone  of  their  ministry ;  to 
destroy  that  sacred  unction  from  the  Holy  One,  which  can  only 
attend  the  simplicity  that  is  in  Christ ;  and  to  produce  such  an 
accommodation  of  their  discourses  to  the  tastes  and  feelings  of 
their  heretical  hearers,  as  to  render  them,  in  fact,  no  longer 
preachers  of  the  Gospel.  I  think  it  would  not  be  difficult  to 
point  out  living  examples  in  conformity  to  these  remarks. 

The  question  has  often  been  asked,  What  has  led  to  that  awful 
degeneracy  of  Boston  with  respect  to  evangelical  truth,  which 
the  friends  of  the  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints  have  so  long 
observed  and  deplored  ?  Various  reasons  have  been  assigned  for 
this  phenomenon,  which  has  been  nearly  if  not  entirely  unpar- 
alelled  in  ecclesiastical  history ;  but  I  acknowledge,  that  none  of 
these  reasons  have  been  satisfactory  to  me.  The  licentiousness 
and  derangements  of  the  war  were  known,  and  exerted  an  influ- 
ence in  other  places,  as  well  as  in  Boston.  The  literary  char- 
acter and  inquiring  spirit  of  the  clergy  have  been  quite  as  much 
distinguished  in  some  other  places,  as  in  that  town,  The  same 
remark  might  be  made  with  respect  to  several  other  considera- 
tions usually  offered  to  assist  in  solving  the  difficulty. 

I  have  scarcely  any  remaining  doubt,  that  the  principal  cause 
of  the  effect  in  question,  is  to  be  sought  in  the  subject  of  this 
letter,  viz  :  indiscriminate  exchanges  with  all  classes  of  heterodox 
ministers.  And  there  probably  never  was  a  place,  in  which  this 
system  has  been  carried  to  such  a  length,  as  in  Boston.  I  cer- 
tainly know  of  none.  These  exchanges  have  almost  unavoidably 
led  to  a  strain  of  general,  pointless,  inoffensive  preaching,  in 
which  all  may  be  disposed  to  agree.     This  strain  of  preaching 


MEMOIR   OF   DR.   CODMAN.  105 

has  of  course  banished  the  knowledge  and  the  life  of  the  peculiar 
doctrines  of  the  gospel  from  the  churches.  The  greater  part 
of  the  present  race  of  clergy,  bred  under  such  ministrations 
and  finding  them  most  popular,  have  become  their  friends  and 
advocates.  And  the  great  body  of  the  people,  as  might  have 
been  expected,  are  distinguished,  not  so  much  by  their  adher- 
ence to  any  distinct,  avowed  form  of  heresy,  as  by  a  general 
belief  of  the  innocence  of  error,  and  of  the  almost  equal  excel- 
lence of  all  modes  of  faith.  The  more  I  reflect  on  the  subject, 
the  more  I  am  persuaded  that  this  has  lieen  the  principal  cause 
and  the  natural  course  of  the  Boston  apostasy ;  and  the  stronger 
conviction  do  I  feel  that,  wherever  the  same  practice  is  admitted, 
similar  effects  will  follow. 

Believe  it  my  friend,  that  practice,  whatever  it  may  be,  which 
induces  ministers  to  preach  seldom,  or  superficially,  on  the  pecu- 
liar doctrines  of  the  blessed  Gospel, — which  places  the  ambassa- 
dors of  Christ  in  circumstances  in  which  they  consider  delicacy 
as  forbidding  them  to  speak  often,  fully  and  pointedly,  on  the 
great,  distinguishing  truths  of  the  word  of  life, — will  never  fail 
to  have  a  most  unhappy  effect  on  their  own  souls,  and  to  lay  a 
foundation  for  irreparable  mischief  among  the  people  of  their 
charge. 

The  man  who  feels  willing,  or  allows  himself  to  be  compelled 
in  the  composition  of  every  discourse,  and  especially  in  those 
which  he  is  preparing  for  exchanges,  to  inquire  and  balance  in 
his  own  mind,  how  far  a  gay  and  polite  world  will  allow  him  to 
go  in  declaring  his  Master's  message,  degrades  his  character, 
dishonors  his  Master,  is  treacherous  to  his  trust,  and  will  soon 
find  himself  to  be  left  to  be  filled  with  his  own  devices. 

I  know  that  there  may  be  a  rash  and  indelicate  mode  of  de- 
claring the  truth.  I  know  that  a  man  may  be  rude,  boisterous 
and  violent,  in  the  sacred  desk,  and  call  it  fidelity.     I  consider 

14 


106  MEMOIR    OF   DR.   CODMAN. 

it  as  the  duty  of  every  minister  to  endeavor  to  find  out  accepta- 
ble words,  by  means  of  which  to  convey  the  truth  as  it  is  in 
Jesus.  But  I  would  not,  for  my  life,  put  myself  into  a  situation 
in  which  I  should  habitually  or  often  be  tempted  to  keep  back, 
or  accommodate  to  human  prejudices,  those  great  and  essential 
truths  which  I  dare  not  alter  or  modify  to  please  any  man.  I 
hope,  therefore,  my  dear  brother,  that  you  will  adhere  to  your 
purpose  with  unalterable  firmness.  Let  neither  the  frowns  nor 
smiles,  the  threats  nor  persuasions,  of  opponents  move  you.  I 
know  that  it  is  a  trying  thing,  to  resist  the  wishes  of  those  whom 
we  respect,  and  who  respect  us.  But,  in  this  case,  it  really 
appears  to  me  that  the  cause  of  truth  and  righteousness,  for 
generations  to  come,  is  involved;  and  in  such  a  cause,  I  take  it 
for  granted,  you  are  of  the  opinion  that  a  minister  ought  to  be 
willing  to  make  any  sacrifice,  rather  than  turn  to  the  right  hand 
or  to  the  left.  It  would  afflict  me  more  than  I  can  express,  to 
hear  that  my  friend  had  become  an  Arian  or  Socinian.  But, 
believe  me,  I  should  be  little  less  distressed  to  hear  that  you  had 
abandoned  your  original  ground  with  respect  to  the  subject  of 
this  lettet,  and  had  consented  to  exchange  with  the  advocates  of 
fundamental  error.  I  should  really  consider  you,  in  one  sense, 
as  having  delivered  your  God  to  the  enemy.  I  am  more  and 
more  convinced,  that  the  friends  of  evangelical  truth  in  Boston 
and  its  neighborhood  must  consent,  at  least  for  a  time,  to  be  a 
little  and  comparatively  a  despised  flock.  They  must  form  a 
little  world  of  their  own,  and  patiently  bear  all  the  ridicule  and 
insults  of  their  proud  and  wealthy  foes.  If  they  do  this  ;  if, 
instead  of  despairing  or  being  impatient  in  the  day  of  small 
things,  like  a  band  of  brothers  they  humbly  wait  on  God,  and, 
when  he  tries  their  faith,  instead  of  being  discouraged,  still 
trust  in  him  ;  if,  in  short,  they  take  for  their  model  the  conduct 
of  the  Apostles,  when  all  the  wit,  and  learning,  and  wealth,  and 


MEMOIR   OF   DE.   CODMAN.  107 

power  of  the  world  were  leagued  against  them,  they  will  as 
certainly  finally  triunipb  over  the  enemies  of  Christ,  as  there  is 
a  King  in  the  holy  hill  of  Zion.  But  if  they  suffer  themselves 
to  be  distracted  and  divided  ;  if  they  are  impatient  under  abuse 
and  contumely  ;  if  they  are  discouraged  when  difficulties  arise  ; 
and,  especially,  if  they  suffer  the  desire  of  emulating  their  oppo- 
nents, in  worldly  wisdom  and  worldly  grandeur,  to  gain  the 
ascendency  in  their  minds,  it  is  certain  that  they  will  be  scourged 
and  depressed,  if  not,  as  a  body,  ruined. 

My  dear  brother,  I  have  written  in  extreme  haste.  I  have 
not  time  to  be  shorter,  and  scarcely  to  read  over  what  I  have 
written.  I  have  poured  out,  however,  the  feelings  of  my  heart 
on  the  subject ;  and  if  what  I  have  said- should  tend,  in  the  least 
degree,  to  strengthen  your  hands,  it  will  afford  unfeigned  plea- 
sure to  your  sincere  friend  and  affectionate  brother, 

Samuel  Miller. 


There  were  other  friends  of  Mr.  Codman  who 
took  a  different  view  of  this  affair,  and  who  were 
disposed  to  say  to  him  :  "  You  are  an  orthodox 
preacher ;  you  know  and  love  the  truth  ;  you  are 
set  for  the  defence  of  the  gospel.  Then  preach 
the  gospel  honestly,  pointedly,  and  with  all  the 
energy  of  Christian  zeal  in  every  sermon,  in  every 
pulpit.  You  are  placed  in  circumstances  of  pecu- 
liar advantage  for  accomplishing  the  great  work 
of  staying  the  progress  of  declension,  perhaps  of 
reforming  our  corrupted  and  declining  churches. 
You  are  a  native  of  Boston,  pf  a  most  respectable 


108  MEMOIR   OF   DR.   CODMAN. 

family,  and  this  gives  jou  influence.  You  have 
property,  and  are  entirely  independent  as  to  pecu 
niary  matters.  Even  the  loss  of  a  parish,  in  this 
respect,  will  be  nothing  to  you.  Let  it  be,  that 
fatal  errors  have  been  embraced  by  many  ministers 
around  you  ;  yet  the  errors  are,  for  the  most  part, 
concealed.  There  is  no  honest  boldness,  as  yet, 
on  the  side  of  heresy.  Preach  every  where  the 
truth,  and  you  may  arrest  the  downward  progress. 
Besides,  there  are  many  good  Christians  in  the 
heretical  churches.  You  may  enlighten  them  and 
strengthen  them,  and  keep  them  from  being  carried 
away.  Imitate  the  Apostle  Paul,  who  feared  not 
the  face  of  the  bigoted  Jew,  of  the  besotted  idol- 
ater, nor  of  the  learned  philosopher  of  Athens. 
Confine  not  your  labors  to  congregations  already 
enlightened,  but  carry  a  blazing  torch  into  the 
midst  of  darkness.  This  is  your  duty,  and  it  is 
also  the  best  policy.  If  you  undertake  to  judge 
your  brethren,  where  sentiments  are  not  distinctly 
known,  and  select  the  ministers  with  whom  you 
will  not  exchange,  you  will  be  accused  of  unchari- 
tableness  and  will  make  difficulty  among  your  own 
people.  But  be  ready  to  exchange,  and  always 
preach  the  most  solemn  and  important  truth,  and 
you  will  throw  the  odium  of  refusing  to  exchange 


MEMOIR   OF   DR.   CODMAN.  109 

upon  the  men  of  error.  Nor  need  jou  fear,  that 
the  number  of  jom'  exchange  pulpits  will  not  be 
soon  reduced.  If  not,  jou  should  rejoice  that  jou 
may  go  on  in  the  good  work  of  saving  those  who 
are  in  great  peril.  The  time  has  not  yet  come, 
though  it  will  come,  for  the  division  of  the  ministry 
and  the  churches  ;  but  now  is  the  time  for  benevo- 
lent and  earnest  labor  in  every  field  around  you, 
that  you  may  gather  into  the  fold  of  truth  those 
who  otherwise  might  be  lost.  If  you  are  in  danger 
of  being  corrupted  yourself,  then  consider  the 
example  of  Paul,  of  Luther,  of  Edwards,  of 
Whitefield.  Catch  more  of  their  burning  zeal,  and 
more  earnestly  seek  the  grace  of  God,  which  can 
make  you  faithful  even  unto  death,  and  then  bestow 
upon  you  a  crown  of  life." 

But  this  advice  would  seem  to  savor  somewhat 
of  self-confidence  and  presumption,  and  to  partake 
less  of  deliberate  wisdom,  and  to  be  less  adapted 
to  the  peculiarities  of  the  crisis  than  the  advice  of 
Dr.  Miller,  and  of  the  great  body  of  evangelical 
ministers  whose  judgment  was  the  same.  The 
special  field  of  a  minister's  labor,  unless  he  be  a 
Whitefield,  is  his  own  church  and  parish  ;  and  to 
instruct,  guard  and  guide  them,  must  require  all  his 
efforts.     To  introduce  into  his  pulpit  a  teacher  of 


110  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

error,  or  of  a  corrupted  gospel,  is  to  counteract  his 
own  most  earnest  purposes.  It  is  not  office  which 
makes  a  minister,  but  character ;  the  belief,  the 
love,  and  the  inculcation  of  the  pure  truth  as  it  is  in 
Jesus  Christ.  It  does  not  appear,  that  Mr.  Codman 
was  ever  dissatisfied  with  the  course  which  God 
enabled  him  to  pursue  in  his  difficult  situation ;  and 
in  the  close  of  the  Review,  already  referred  to,  it  is 
remarked,  ''  that  his  character  has  not  suffered  by 
the  long  trials  through  which  he  has  passed ;  that 
his  parish  is  now  very  flourishing,  as  more  persons 
attend  his  ministry  than  has  been  the  case  at  any 
previous  time ;  and  that  he  and  many  of  his  friends, 
in  every  part  of  the  United  States,  think  there  is 
abundant  cause  to  bless  God  that  the  controversy 
has  been  brought  to  so  favorable  a  termination." 

In  respect  to  this  controversy,  the  wonderful  wis- 
dom of  Divine  Providence,  which  brings  good  out 
of  evil,  and  makes  the  depraved  passions  of  the 
human  heart  subservient  to  his  purposes  of  mercy, 
ought  not  to  be  overlooked.  A  young  minister,  of 
a  distinguished  family,  endowed  with  a  plentiful 
estate,  accustomed  to  the  tokens  of  respect  and 
esteem,  would  not  be  likely  to  choose  for  himself  to 
enter  upon  his  ministerial  course  under  a  cloud  of 
obloquy  and  abuse,  obliged,  as  he  was,  to  struggle 


MEMOIR   OF  DR.    CODMAN.  Ill 

for  years  against  a  powerful  ecclesiastical  party,  in 
the  maintenance  of  his  rights,  and  for  the  honor 
and  success  of  the  gospel  which  he  preached. 
But  doubtless  this  unwelcome  and  severe  discipline 
was  precisely  the  discipline  which  he  needed  for 
his  own  humiliation,  the  perfecting  of  his  virtues, 
and  the  improvement  of  his  character.  In  several 
respects  he  was  peculiarly  fitted  to  be  a  cham- 
pion of  the  cause  to  be  asserted  and  maintained. 
He  was  firmly  established  in  the  faith  which  he 
professed  ;  he  had  zeal  and  courage ;  and  his 
very  wealth,  which  in  other  circumstances  might 
tempt  to  self-indulgence,  was  here  a  source  of 
strength,  a  muniment  in  the  conflict.  He  waged 
a  weary  battle  of  three  years ;  but  he  fought  wisely, 
and  manfully,  and  prayerfully,  and  achieved  a  very 
important  triumph.  Thus  he  gained  a  wide  repu- 
tation and  influence,  which  he  could  not  otherwise 
have  acquired.  Had  he  not  been  a  soldier,  he 
would  not,  in  his  age,  have  had  the  satisfaction 
of  remembering  the  conflicts  of  his  youth. 

Had  he  been  overcome  in  the  contest,  and,  driven 
from  his  field  of  labor,  succeeded  by  a  preacher  of  a 
different  system  of  faith,  it  is  easy  to  imagine  what 
would  have  been  the  result  in  his  own  particular 
parish.     The    people    might   have   heard  from   the 


1L2  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

pulpit  many  sweet  words  concerning  liberality  and 
charity,  the  progress  of  light  and  exemption  from 
the  bigotry  of  past  ages ;  discourses  on  the  moral 
virtues,  and  on  the  pure  and  holy  example  of  Jesus ; 
on  his  death  as  a  martyr  to  the  truth ;  on  his  resur- 
rection also,  as  a  proof  that  our  bodies  will  be 
raised ;  exhortations  to  good  works,  that  the  higher 
rewards  of  virtue  may  be  obtained,  with  perhaps 
some  soothing  suggestions  to  the  immoral  and  im- 
pious that,  in  the  end  it  might  be  well  with  them 
^and  with  all  men,  and  that  they  might  hope  to  reach 
a  humble  place  in  heaven.  Under  such  preaching, 
there  would  have  been  a  deep  spiritual  slumber,  or 
under  such  guidance  immortal  men,  ignorant  of  the 
truth,  misguided  and  deluded,  would  have  traveled 
to  the  grave  and  to  the  judgment  seat  of  Christ. 

But  they  would  not  have  had  a  preacher  describ- 
ing their  depravity  and  ruin,  teaching  the  necessity 
of  the  renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost  in  order  to 
their  salvation,  calling  them  to  repentance  and  to 
the  exercise  of  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  that  they 
might  be  redeemed  by  his  blood,  and  to  the  prac- 
tice of  all  goodness ;  warning  them  of  the  terrors 
of  the  great  day  of  doom,  and  holding  up  to  their 
view  the  glorious,  everlasting  destiny  of  the  friends 
of  God,  and  of  the  true  disciples  of  his  crucified 


MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN.  113 

Son,  who  has  gone  to  prepare  mansions  for  Ihose 
that  love  him.  They  would  not  have  had  a  preacher 
discoursing  of  these  things  with  deep  earnestness, 
and  solemnity,  and  affection,  manifesting  in  every 
way  his  solicitude  for  their  religious  improvement 
and  immortal  welfare.  Nor  would  their  minister 
have  had  the  happiness  to  welcome,  to  the  tahle 
of  the  Lord  Jesus,  hundreds  of  immortal  souls, 
enlightened,  through  God's  blessing  on  his  instruc- 
tions, renewed  and  sanctified ;  and  who,  as  he 
hoped  with  unutterable  emotions,  would  be  his 
crown  of  rejoicing  in  the  day  of  the  Lord. 

In  the  course  of  this  controversy,  Mr.  Codman 
formed  an  intimacy  with  the  family  of  William 
Coombs,  Esq.,  of  Newburyport,  an  eminent  mer- 
chant, and  a  gentleman  of  rare  and  exalted 
piety,  who  acted  as  delegate  on  the  council 
for  his  settlement.  The  intimacy  thus  formed, 
led  to  an  acquaintance  with  a  grand-daughter  of 
Mr.  Coombs,  the  eldest  daughter  of  Ebenezer 
Wheelwright,  Esq.  of  Newburyport,  with  whom 
he  was  united  in  marriage,  January  19,  1813. 
Of  this  lady,  who  still  survives,  well  known 
and  appreciated  by  a  large  circle  of  affection- 
ate friends,  we  need  only  say,  that  she  was 
eminently    qualified     to    fill    the    important    and, 


114  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

in  many  respects,  difficult  station,  which  she  was 
for  so  many  years  called  to  occupy. 

In  the  year  1817,  Mr.  Codman  wrote  to  his 
friend,  the  author,  in  reference  to  afflictions  which 
each  had  experienced  :  "  Those  who  sleep  in  Jesus, 
God  will  certainly  raise  to  life  and  glory.  With 
peculiar  satisfaction  I  learned,  from  Professors  Hall 
and  Hough,  the  excellent  and  respectable  character 
and  rising  eminence  of  your  brother  in  Middlebury 
College.  But  God's  ways  are  not  as  our  ways. 
My  friend,  we  have  always  been  peculiarly  united. 
For  nearly  twenty  years,  we  have  traveled  together 
in  the  journey  of  life.  We  were  married  within  a 
few  days  of  each  other,  and  have  each  been  blessed 
with  three  dear  children.  But,  alas,  two  of  mine 
are  not,  and  but  one  boy  remains.  Oh,  my  friend, 
although  you  have  met  with  severe  domestic  afflic- 
tions, you  have  not  yet  lost  a  child  ;  and  I  pray 
God,  of  his  infinite  mercy,  to  spare  you  the  painful 
stroke." 

January  27,  1822,  he  wrote  in  reference  to  the 
commencement  at  Cambridge  :  "  I  am  particularly 
desirous  that  you  should  attend  this  year,  so  as  to 
meet  the  class  on  the  evening  preceding.  You  will 
recollect,  that  twenty  years  have  passed  since  we 
took  leave  of  our  alma  mater.     It  is  quite  an  epoch 


MEMOIR  OF  DR.   CODMAN.  115 

in  our  class  history,  and  we  hope  to  have  a  very 
general  attendance  of  the  class.  It  is  remarkable 
that,  in  a  class  of  sixty,  but  fourteen  are  deceased 
during  that  period.  Before  the  expiration  of  such 
another  era,  how  many  of  us  will  have  taken  our 
leave  forever  of  all  human  associations  !  *  In  the 
light  of  eternity,  my  dear  friend,  how  trifling, 
how  insignificant  do  all  human  honors  appear. 
How  important  that  honor  which  cometh  from  God 
only!" 

In  regard  to  the  title  of  Doctor  of  Divinity  about 
to  be  given  him  by  Princeton  College,  he  says  : 
"  Of  the  distinction  to  which  you  allude,  I  had 
already  received  some  hints  from  another  quarter. 
I  trust  I  can  truly  say,  that  the  longer  I  live  the 
less  important  do  such  things  appear.  I  most  sin- 
cerely reciprocate  your  wish,  that  we  may  be  more 
divine  and  heavenly  in  our  temper  and  lives,  and 
be  excited  to  teach  others  with  greater  fidelity  and 
pleasure  the  grand  principles  of  the  gospel." 

March  12,  1823,  he  writes:  "My  health  has 
been  very  indifferent  all  winter.     In  October  last  I 

*  The  writer,  and  seventeen  other  classmates  of  Dr.  Codman,  passed 
Commencement  Day  together  in  1852,  half  a  century  after  their  grad- 
uation at  Cambridge.  They  did  not  forget  their  recently  departed 
friend. 


116  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

had  a  fall  from  my  horse,  striking  my  head,  which 
deprived  me  of  my  recollection,  and  I  felt  mjself  in 
danger  of  inflammation  of  the  brain,  or  extravasa- 
tion of  some  of  the  vessels  in  the  head.  I  have 
never  been  brought  so  near,  in  my  apprehension,  to 
the  eternal  world  ;  and  may  God  grant  that  I  may 
be  the  better  for  this  correction  of  his  providence. 
Bleeding  and  a  general  system  of  depletion  reduced 
me  very  low,  and  sensibly  affected  my  nervous  sys- 
tem. I  am  now,  blessed  be  God,  in  comfortable 
health,  and,  as  the  physicians  assure  me,  out  of 
danger  from  the  fall.  I  am  still  subject  to  seasons 
of  depression,  and  have  been  advised  to  take  a 
voyage  to  Europe  for  the  recovery  of  my  health 
and  spirits." 

Alluding  to  another  accident  of  a  similar  nature, 
he  writes,  April  13,  1824:  *' Since  we  last  met,  I 
have  passed  through  a  long  and  painful  confine- 
ment, occasioned  by  a  fall  in  attempting  to  mount 
a  horse.  I  dislocated  my  right  shoulder,  and  injured 
my  left  arm  to  such  an  extent  that  it  is  doubtful 
if  I  shall  ever  recover  the  perfect  use  of  it.  For 
nearly  three  months,  I  was  prevented  from  the  cus- 
tomary discharge  of  ministerial  duty.  My  general 
health  and  spirits  suffered  much,  but,  through  divine 
mercy,  are   now  restored.      In  a  little  while,  my 


MEMOIR  OF  DR.   CODMAN.  117 

dear  friend,  our  boys  will  be  taking  our  places,  and 
we  shall  be  gone.  I  have  had  much  occasion  to 
familiarize  my  mind  with  the  solemn  thought  of 
death.  Oh  that  we  may  be  prepared  for  that  great 
change  !  I  ask  your  prayers  for  me,  that  I  may  be 
found  faithful.  It  is  a  delightful  consideration,  that 
friendship,  which  has  religion  for  its  basis,  will  con- 
tinue through  eternity." 

The  life  of  the  pastor  of  a  country  parish  offers 
but  little  of  stirring  incident  to  interest  the  public. 
Happy  in  the  faithful  and  diligent  discharge  of  the 
duties  of  his  office,  and  in  the  devoted  affection  of 
his  flock,  he  exercised  over  them  that  silent  and 
yet  powerful  influence  by  which  the  character  of  a 
people  is  generally  moulded.  In  the  children  be- 
longing to  his  charge,  he  ever  took  a  deep  and 
lively  interest,  often  assembling  them,  according  to 
the  custom  of  '  the  good  old  time,'  for  catechising ; 
delighting  to  lead  them  in  the  way  of  truth,  and 
looking  forward  to  the  period  when  those,  whom  he 
had  consecrated  to  God  in  baptism,  should  rise  up 
and  take  the  places  of  their  fathers.  He  was  highly 
fitted  to  enjoy  domestic  life  ;  and,  surrounded  by  a 
large  circle  of  affectionate  relatives  and  friends, 
living  in  the  midst  of  the  most  attractive  charms  of 
nature,  and   exercising  an  unbounded   hospitality, 


118  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

the  sun  of  earthly  prosperity  seemed  to  shine  upon 
him  with  almost  unclouded  brightness.  He  was 
remarkable  for  a  grateful  appreciation  of  all  the 
mercies  which  surrounded  him,  delighting  to  trace, 
in  all  the  rich  bounties  of  Providence,  the  hand  of 
an  indulgent  Father,  and  ever  ready  to  employ  all 
the  means  in  his  power  for  doing  good. 


MEMOIR  OF  DE.  CODMAN.  119 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

JOUKNEY  TO  THE  SOUTH— A  CHRISTIAN  PLANTER— SAVANNAH  AND  FAIR- 
FIELD—VOYAGE  TO  ENGLAND  — INTERVIEWS  WITH  OLD  FRIENDS  — 
REV.  DR.  CHALMERS— MRS.  HANNAH  MORE  AND  "BARLEY  WOOD  "— 
ROWLAND  HILL  — THIRD  VISIT  TO  EUROPE— LETTERS  — LAST  VISIT 
TO  ENGLAND  — RELIGIOUS  ANNIVERSARIES. 

Dr.  Codman's  health  and  spirits  had  suffered  so 
severely  from  the  effects  of  the  accident,  to  which 
he  alludes,  that  a  sea  voyage  was  considered  by  his 
physician  indispensable  to  their  restoration.  Ac- 
cordingly, on  the  11th  of  November,  1824,  accom- 
panied by  Mrs.  Codman  and  a  female  relative,  he 
embarked  in  the  ship  Emerald,  Capt.  Howes,  for 
Savannah.  In  that  city,  and  in  Charleston,  he  passed 
a  few  months  in  very  pleasant  intercourse  with  min- 
isters and  excellent  Christians  of  his  acquaintance, 
occasionally  preaching  for  his  brethren.  A  visit  to 
Richmond,  the  seat  of  Mr.  Clay,  gave  some  insight 
into  the  management  of  a  slave  plantation  by  a 
kind  and  Christian  master.  We  have  the  following 
account  of  it :  "  At  a  short  distance  from  the  house 


120  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

is  a  small  village  of  negro  huts,  (which  they  call 
the  street,)  consisting  of  thirty  or  forty  buildings, 
all  of  which,  with  their  inhabitants,  are  the  property 
of  Mr.  Clay.  As  we  entered  the  street,  we  found 
the  different  families  employed  in  assorting  cotton. 
Each  house  has  a  small  coop  for  poultry  attached 
to  it,  and  a  portion  of  land  is  set  apart  for  each 
family,  which  they  are  at  liberty  to  cultivate  for 
themselves  after  they  have  fulfilled  their  tasks.  As 
we  stood  talking  with  some  of  the  children,  an  old 
black  man  came  up  to  us,  by  the  name  of  Scipio. 
He  is  upwards  of  seventy  years  old,  and  we  soon 
discovered,  that  he  was  pious  and  intelligent,  acting 
the  part  of  priest,  physician  and  nurse,  in  the  vil- 
lage. Mr.  Clay  told  us  that  he  was  in  the  habit 
of  collecting  all  the  blacks  together,  every  evening, 
to  attend  prayers, — a  duty  which  he  himself  per- 
formed in  their  behalf." 

The  following  account  of  a  Sabbath  passed  at 
Fairfield,  the  seat  of  Colonel  Law,  may  be  read 
with  interest.  The  church  alluded  to  was  at  a 
place  called  Midway,*  and  was  built  by  emigrants 


*  Of  this  church  an  uncle  of  the  writer,  Rev.  Moses  Allen,  a  native 
of  Northampton,  was  the  pastor  when  his  meeting-house  was  burnt, 
in  the  war  of  the  Revolution.  In  attempting  to  escape  by  swimming 
from  a  prison-ship  at  Savannah,  he  was  drowned  February  8,  1779, 
aged  thirty  years. 


MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN.  121 

from  Dorchester,  Massachusetts:  "Soon  after  break- 
fast we  prepared  ourselves  to  attend  church  about 
nine  miles  distant  from  Col.  Law's.  On  our  way, 
which  was  principally  through  a  thick  wood,  we 
passed  many  negroes,  neatly  attired,  walking  to  the 
house  of  God  in  company.  As  we  approached  the 
church,  a  great  number  of  carriages  were  coming  in 
every  direction  to  this  sacred  spot,  which  is  far  from 
the  habitations  of  men,  and  surrounded  only  by 
the  grave-yard  and  a  few  little  houses  and  arbors, 
erected  for  the  convenience  of  the  congregation, 
who  come  from  such  a  distance  that,  in  some 
instances,  they  take  their  whole  families  with  them. 
There  is  an  intermission  of  about  half  an  hour,  and 
this  interval  is  spent  by  the  whites  in  the  buildings 
and  arbors  around  the  church.  The  blacks,  mean- 
while, retire  with  their  leader  or  watchman  to  the 
woods,  where  they  are  reminded  of  the  truths  to 
which  they  have  been  attending,  by  one  of  their 
own  number,  whom  they  call  an  'exhorter.'  I 
preached  morning  and  afternoon  to  a  very  attentive 
audience.  The  singing  was  performed  in  the  old- 
fashioned  style,  and  without  any  select  choir.  The 
members  of  this  church  retain  the  primitive  faith 
which  their  ancestors  embraced,  and  are  extremely 
fearful  of  innovations.     There  are  about  six  hun- 

16 


122  MEMOIR   OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

dred  communicants,  including  the  blacks,  and  the 
ordinance  is  administered  once  in  three  months. 
The  blacks  have  watchmen,  as  they  are  called, 
whose  duty  it  is  to  see  that  they  walk  circum- 
spectly ;  and,  in  case  of  deviation,  to  report  the 
same  to  the  church,  which  has  ever  maintained  a 
wholesome  discipline.  Thus  has  passed  this  inter- 
esting Sabbath,  which  may  truly  be  called  a  '  Peep 
at  the  Pilgrims,'  and  carries  one  back  in  feeling 
to  the  early  settlement  of  our  country,  when  the 
church  was  indeed  in  the  wilderness,  and  the  disci- 
ples of  Christ  a  distinct  and  peculiar  people." 

On  the  first  of  February,  Dr.  Codman  and  his 
companions  embarked  again  on  board  the  Emerald, 
for  Liverpool.  Little  occurred  to  vary  the  mo- 
notony of  a  sea  voyage.  Dr.  Codman  performed 
divine  service  in  the  cabin,  whenever  the  weather 
would  permit.  They  arrived  at  Liverpool  on  the 
morning  of  February  28  ;  and,  after  a  few  days 
occupied  in  viewing  the  objects  of  interest  there, 
they  proceeded  to  Manchester.  Their  visit  to  that 
place  was  rendered  peculiarly  interesting,  by  some 
circumstances  connected  with  an  acquaintance 
which  Dr.  Codman  had  formed,  during  his  previous 
visit  to  Europe,  with  Mr.  White,  of  Manchester, 
who  was  then  residing  in  Paris,  to  which  he  alludes 


MEMOIR   OF   DR.   CODMAN.  123 

in  a  letter  written  about  that  period.  He  always 
retained  a  most  affectionate  interest  in  the  family 
of  Mr.  White ;  and,  in  after  years,  delighted  to 
relate  to  his  own  children  the  story  of  his  little 
adopted  ones,  as  he  always  called  them. 

The  following  is  the  interesting  account  of  the 
circumstances  connected  with  this  family : — When 
Dr.  Codman  visited  Europe,  in  the  year  1806,  he 
was  introduced  to  an  English  gentleman  in  Paris, 
by  the  name  of  White,  whose  lady  had  recently 
died  and  left  him  with  the  care  of  five  small  chil- 
dren. The  friends  of  Mrs.  White,  who  resided  at 
Seven  Oaks,  in  Kent,  on  hearing  of  her  decease, 
requested  that,  if  it  were  possible,  the  three  eldest 
children  might  be  sent  over  to  them,  and  they  would 
adopt  them  as  their  own.  But  the  difficulties  then 
existing  between  France  and  England,  seemed  to 
render  such  an  arrangement  quite  impracticable. 
It  was  about  this  time  that  Dr.  Codman  was  intro- 
duced to  Mr.  White  and  his  lovely  little  family,  in 
whom  he  became  much  interested.  Mr.  White 
stated  to  him  the  difficult  situation  in  which  he  was 
placed  with  regard  to  the  children,  and  his  desire 
to  get  them  over  to  their  friends.  Dr.  Codman 
was  about  leaving  Paris  for  England,  by  the  way  of 
Holland  ;  and,  being  an  American,   there  was  not 


124  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

much  difficulty  attending  his  return.  After  consid- 
erable deliberation,  he  told  Mr.  White  that  if  he 
would  intrust  him  with  the  care  of  his  children,  he 
would  endeavor  to  take  them  safely  over  to  their 
friends.  The  proposal  was  gratefully  acceded  to  ; 
and  in  a  few  days  the  children,  with  an  attentive 
nurse  and  a  man  servant,  under  the  care  of  their 
new  protector,  left  Paris  in  the  diligence  for  Rot- 
terdam. The  eldest  of  the  children  was  about 
eight  years  of  age,  and  the  youngest,  four.  They 
were  familiar  with  but  few  words  of  the  English 
language,  excepting  a  hymn  which  their  mother  had 
taught  them,  and  the  Lord's  prayer.  They  would 
kneel  and  repeat  this  on  every  evening  of  their 
journey,  and  then  unite  in  singing  that  sweet  hymn  : 

"  My  God,  how  endless  is  thy  love, 
Thy  gifts  are  every  evening  new,"  &c. 

Their  party  occupied  all  the  seats  in  the  diligence 
excepting  one,  which  was  taken  by  a  Frenchman, 
who  was  very  inquisitive  to  know  something  about 
the  children,  remarking  to  Dr.  Codman,  that  he 
was  quite  a  young  man  to  be  the  father  of  such  a 
family.  Dr.  Codman  discouraged  any  conversation, 
on  the  ground  that  he  was  but  little  acquainted 
with  the  French  language,  so  that  the  gentleman 
suppressed  bis  curiosity  for  the  remaipder   of  the 


MEMOIR   OF   DR.   CODMAN.  125 

journey.     The  nurse  accompanied   them  as  far  as 
Antwerp,  and  then  returned  to  Paris.     When  they 
reached  Rotterdam  it  was  late  in  the  evening,  and 
the  children  were  put  into  their  beds  very  weary. 
In  the  mean  time,  there   was  a  report  in  circula- 
tion, that  the  children  were  the  offspring  of  English 
parents.     On   being  informed  of  this.  Dr.  Codman 
hardly   knew    what    course   to   pursue  ;    but  finally 
concluded  to  take  the  children  from  their  beds  and 
go  with  them  himself  to  the  French  commandant, 
and  let   his   servant  state   all  the  circumstances  of 
the  case  and  plead  in  their  behalf.     This  the   ser- 
vant  managed  so  well  that,  before  he  had  finished 
his  story,  the  commandant   burst    into    tears,   took 
the  children  in  his  arms  and  kissed   them,  saying, 
"If  they  were  the  children  of  King  George,  I  would 
let  them  go."     He  at  once  signed  their  passports, 
and  in  the  morning  they  set  off  for  the  Briel,  and 
took  passage  in  a  vessel  bound  for  England.     Dr. 
Codman    flattered    himself   that   he   had   no   more 
difficulties  of  this  kind  to  encounter ;  but  on  pre- 
senting his  passport,  he  was  told  that  it  was  defec- 
tive,  not  having  been  signed    by  the   commandant 
at  the  Hague.     All  entreaty  was  vain  ;  and,  finding 
that  the  children  would  be  permitted  to  go,  he  com- 
mitted them  to  the  care  of  an  American  gentleman 


126  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

on  board,  and  returned  to  the  Hague.  Having  suc- 
ceeded in  obtaining  the  necessary  signature  to  his 
passport,  he  set  off  again  for  the  Briel.  Day  was 
just  beginning  to  dawn,  as  he  approached  the  land- 
ing ;  and,  to  his  great  joy,  he  found  the  vessel  still 
detained  by  a  head  wind.  He  was  soon  on  board  ; 
and,  the  wind  changing  in  the  course  of  an  hour, 
they  set  sail  for  England,  where  the  children  were 
safely  delivered  to  their  friends. 

It  was  the  recollection  of  this  adventure,  which 
gave  a  peculiar  interest  to  Dr.  Codman's  visit  to 
Manchester,  after  the  lapse  of  so  many  years.  He 
found  Mr.  White  still  living  in  that  town,  though 
quite  an  invalid.  He  had  suffered  from  several 
attacks  of  paralysis,  which  had  so  weakened  his 
mind  that  it  was  a  long  time  before  he  could  be 
made  sensible  with  whom  he  was  conversing.  But 
when  he  was  convinced  that  it  was  indeed  Dr. 
Codman,  he  extended  his  hand  with  all  the  warmth 
of  friendship,  and  gave  an  account  of  the  state  of 
his  family  and  situation  of  his  children.  He  prom- 
ised that  the  two  eldest  should  pass  the  evening 
with  Dr.  Codman  at  his  lodgings,  without  inform- 
ing them  whom  they  were  to  meet.  They  accord- 
ingly came ;  and,  though  twenty  years  had  elapsed 
since  they  had  seen  their  protector,  the  eldest  had 


MEMOIR   OF   DR.   CODMAN.  12T 

a  perfect  recollection  of  him,  and  mentioned  a 
number  of  circumstances  that  took  place  on  their 
journey,  which  Dr.  Codman  had  forgotten.  This 
interview  was  the  more  delightful  to  Dr.  Codman, 
when  he  found  that  both  the  young  men  were 
pious,  and  had  made  a  profession  of  their  faith  in 
Christ.  One  of  them  had  been  engaged  in  the 
early  part  of  the  evening  at  a  charity  school,  and 
he  produced  from  his  pocket  ''  Janeway's  Token 
for  Children,"  which  Dr.  Codman  had  given  him 
when  he  was  four  years  old,  and  from  which  he 
had  been  instructing  the  poor  children  connected 
with  the  charity  school. 

Mrs.  Codman's  journal,  written  in  the  familiar 
style  of  letters,  contains  many  interesting  incidents 
of  this  journey;  but,  passing  over  much  that  might 
otherwise  engage  our  attention,  we  make  such 
extracts  only  as  may  seem  most  appropriate  to  our 
present  purpose.  Their  visit  to  Scotland,  and  the 
renewal  of  Dr.  Codman's  intimacy  with  early 
friends  in  Edinburgh,  were  among  the  most  de- 
lightful reminiscences  of  this  tour. 

On  the  fourth  of  April,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Codman 
made  a  visit  to  St.  Andrews,  where  they  were 
received  with  great  kindness  by  Rev.  Dr.  Chalmers 
and  his  lady. 


128  MEMOIR   OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

We  dined  with  them,  and  then  proposed  going  to  Cupar  to 
pass  the  night,  to  which  Dr.  Chalmers  would  not  consent;  and, 
after  we  had  concluded  to  stay,  he  introduced  us  to  a  young 
gentleman,  who  offered  his  services  in  showing  us  about  the 
place.  In  the  evening,  we  went  with  Dr.  Chalmers  to  an 
obscure  part  of  the  town,  to  attend  the  first  missionary  concert 
for  prayer  that  was  ever  held  in  St.  Andrews.  This  gave  us  an 
opportunity  of  seeing  Dr.  Chalmers  to  the  best  advantage.  He 
is,  at  present,  exceedingly  interested  in  the  subject  of  missions, 
and  had  taken  great  pains  in  preparing  for  the  exercises  of  the 
evening.  His  object  was  to  give  the  people  a  history  of  missions 
from  the  beginning,  in  as  concise  a  manner  as  possible  ;  and  for 
this  purpose  he  had  condensed  a  great  body  of  materials,  so  that 
he  might  exhibit  the  whole  subject,  in  all  its  important  bearings, 
at  one  view.  In  doing  this,  he  made  large  extracts  from  his  own 
sermons,  which  he  delivered  in  a  very  animated  and  energetic 
manner,  so  as  to  give  us  a  perfect  idea  of  his  mode  of  preach- 
ing. After  our  return  home,  which  was  between  nine  and  ten 
o'clock,  he  devoted  his  whole  time  to  us;  and,  as  we  were  seated 
around  the  supper  table,  partaking  of  minced  collops  and  oat- 
meal cakes,  he  entered  into  conversation  in  the  most  lively  and 
animated  manner,  using  at  the  same  time  various  gestures, 
expressive  of  the  interest  which  he  felt  in  the  subject  of  conver- 
sation. Edwards  was  one  part  of  his  theme ;  and,  after  pro- 
nouncing an  eulogium  upon  this  great  and  good  man,  he  lifted 
both  hands  and  exclaimed  :  **  Oh,  he  was  the  glory  of  America." 

In  person.  Dr.  Chalmers  is  of  middling  size.  His  complexion 
is  light  and  pale,  and  his  face  is  deeply  marked  with  the  small- 
pox. His  eye  is  of  a  filmy  blue,  and  devoid  of  animation.  He 
has  a  fine  broad  forehead,  but  it  is  not  until  he  speaks,  that  one 
can  discover  any  thing  in  his  countenance  to  interest  or  please. 
It  is  seldom  that  the  mouth  gives  the  whole  expression  to  the 


MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN.  129 

face,  but  it  is  remarkably  so  in  this  case  ;  and  one  can  hardly  be 
said  to  have  seen  Dr.  Chalmers,  who  has  not  seen  him  smile  or 
heard  him  speak. 

At  Rothsay,  in  the  Isle  of  Bute,  Dr.  Codman  visited  his  old 
friend  Mr.  Denoon,  the  parish  minister,  who  preaches  partly  in 
the  Gaelic  language,  having  the  charge  of  the  whole  parish,  or 
island,  of  six  thousand  souls.  The  living  is  in  the  gift  of  the 
Marquis  of  Bute,  who  is  much  attached  to  Mr.  Denoon  and 
frequently  visits  him,  patronizes  Sabbath  schools  in  the  parish, 
and  offers  to  remunerate  any  expense  that  may  occur  in  the 
establishment  or  continuance  of  them. 

Passing  over  a  visit  to  many  objects  of  interest 
in  Ireland,  v^e  come  to  the  following  account  of  an 
interview  with  Mrs.  Hannah  More. 

May  4. — The  events  of  this  day  have  been  of  a  peculiarly 
interesting  nature,  and  such  as  will  long  be  remembered.     After 

breakfast,  Mrs.  B proposed  taking  us   in   l\cr  carriage  to 

**  Barley  Wood,"  the  residence  of  Mrs.  More.  We  were 
informed,  at  the  door,  that  she  was  not  so  well  as  usual  to-day, 
but  that  she  would  see  us  with  pleasure,  We  were  then  con- 
ducted to  her  bed-chamber,  where  we  found  her  seated  in  an 
easy-chair.  She  rose  at  our  entrance,  extended  her  hand,  and 
gave  us  a  most  cordial  reception.  Her  person  interested  us 
exceedingly.  She  has  a  fine  countenance,  full  of  animation, 
and  expressive  of  every  thing  kind  and  benevolent.  She  wore 
a  plain  lace  cap,  with  a  wreath  of  white  ribbon  in  front,  and  her 
hair  was  slightly  powdered.  Dr.  Codman  took  the  chair  next 
her  ;  and,  while  conversing  with  him,  her  countenance  bright- 
ened, and  she  occasionally  laid  her  hand  upon  his  arm, — a  ges- 
ture expressive  of  the  interest  which  she  felt  in  the  subject  of 

17 


130  MEMOIR   OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

conversation.  When  Dr.  Codman  remarked  that  he  had  not 
seen  her  last  work,  she  at  once  handed  him  a  copy  of  it,  saying, 
"  I  will  make  you  a  present  of  it.  It  was  compiled  during  my 
late  illness,  and  was  intended  as  a  death-bed  present  to  my 
friends."  She  then  wrote  his  name  on  the  leaf,  without  using 
her  glasses,  for  which  she  said  she  seldom  had  occasion.  She 
remarked,  that  it  had  pleased  God  to  deprived  her  of  both  taste 
and  smell,  "  which,"  she  said,  "  you  may  think  somewhat  afflic- 
tive ;  but  no,  for  I  have  been  doomed  for  the  last  eight  years 
to  live  upon  medicines,  and  I  can  see  the  kindness  of  my  Heav- 
enly Father  in  continuing  to  me  the  two  intellectual  senses, 
seeing  and  hearing,  while  he  has  deprived  me  only  of  those 
which,  under  existing  circumstances,  would  have  been  a  source 
of  misery."  On  a  table  before  her  lay  a  box  made  of  mulberry 
wood,  which,  in  her  youth,  she  had  taken  from  a  tree,  planted 
by  the  hand  of  Shakespeare.  We  read  aloud,  at  her  request, 
the  lines  she  had  inscribed  upon  it : 

"  I  kissed  the  ground  where  Shakespeare's  ashes  lay, 
And  bore  this  relic  of  the  bard  away.     1767." 

The  room  in  which  she  received  us  was  furnished  in  a  very 
simple  manner.  One  part  of  it  contains  her  library,  and  in  the 
other  part  there  is  a  bow  with  three  windows,  down  to  the  floor. 
In  this  bow,  a  large  number  of  beautiful  plants  and  flowers 
were  arranged.  Beside  her  was  a  table  composed  of  parts  of 
the  different  kinds  of  trees,  growing  at  Barley  Wood,  all  of 
which  she  had  planted  with  her  own  hand,  excepting  one, 
which  was  put  into  the  ground  by  her  friend,  Bishop  Porteus, 
and  was  distinguished  from  the  rest  by  its  peculiar  color  and 
texture.  Some  ladies,  who  were  present,  introduced  the  Cath- 
olic question,  a  subject  in  which  her  feelings  were  warmly 
interested,  and  she  inquired  of  Dr.  Codman,  with  great  earnest- 


MEMOIR  OF  DR.   CODMAN.  131 

ness,  whether  he  had  read  the  speech  of  the  Duke  of  York, 
and  expressed  much  anxiety  lest  the  bill  for  the  emancipation 
of  the  Catholics  should  pass  the  House  of  Lords.  Something 
had  previously  been  said  on  the  subject  of  slavery  in  our 
southern  States,  and  Mrs.  More  remarked,  that  if  she  could 
live  to  see  that  evil  remedied  in  our  country,  and  the  question 
above  alluded  to  settled  according  to  her  views,  she  could  say, 
*'  Now  let  thy  servant  depart  in  peace."  As  we  were  leaving, 
Mrs.  More  begged  us  to  walk  about  her  grounds,  and  visit  the 
monuments  which  she  had  erected  to  the  memory  of  Locke,  and 
of  her  friend  Porteus.  We  walked  through  a  winding  path, 
bordered  by  shrubbery,  with  here  and  there  a  little  rural  house, 
which  had  been  erected  for  the  accommodation  of  Mrs.  More 
and  her  friends,  in  their  rambles  through  this  delightful  solitude. 
Near  where  we  stood,  on  the  top  of  the  hill,  was  the  monument 
to  Locke  presented  by  Lady  Montague  to  Mrs.  More  ;  and  the 
birth-place  of  this  distinguished  man  may  be  seen  in  the  village 
over  against  it. 

May  1L — The  great  missionary  meeting  of  the  Dissenters 
was  held  to-day  in  Surry  Chapel.  Dr.  Morrison,  of  China, 
preached  a  very  appropriate  sermon  ;  after  which,  Rowland  Hill 
rose  in  the  desk  below  and  made  an  address.  He  concluded  by 
saying,  that  he  hoped  a  large  collection  would  be  made,  and  that 
the  people  of  Surry  Chapel  would  not  be  backward  in  the  good 
work  ;  that  he  should  hold  one  of  the  plates  at  the  door,  and 
hoped  his  hearers,  as  they  passed  out,  would  heap  up  his  plate 
full.  As  we  went  out  by  way  of  the  vestry  door,  we  saw  the 
old  gentleman  standing  and  presenting  his  plate  to  those  passing 
him,  and  at  the  same  time  gathering  up  in  his  hand  a  few  stray 
half-pence,  which  had  fallen  in  among  the  silver,  saying,  in  a 
low  voice,  "  I  will  take  up  all  these  as  fast  as  they  come  and 
put  them  into  my  pocket,  lest  others,  seeing  them,  should  drop 
in  theirs  also  instead  of  silver." 


132  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

May  16. — We  went  to  dueen  Street  Chapel,  to  hear  Mr. 
Irving.  He  gave  us  a  sermon  nearly  three  hours  in  length, 
from  the  seventh  chapter  of  Daniel  ;  but  confined  his  discourse 
principally  to  the  Book  of  Revelation,  which  he  represented  as 
one  great  drama,  divided  into  a  number  of  scenes,  interspersed 
with  choruses  sung  by  the  heavenly  hosts.  His  manner  was 
very  terrible,  and  well  accorded  with  some  parts  of  his  subject. 

On  the  sixth  of  June,  Dr.  Codman  and  his 
friends  made  a  journey  to  Paris ;  and,  on  their 
return,  visited  the  Isle  of  Wight,  lingering  with 
great  interest  among  the  scenes  associated  with  the 
memory  of  Leigh  Richmond.  In  July,  they  sailed 
from  Liverpool,  in  the  Emerald,  for  Boston,  with 
several  very  agreeable  passengers,  and  arrived  on 
the  30th  of  August. 

After  a  lapse  of  about  ten  years  devoted  to  his 
pastoral  labors.  Dr.  Codman  was  ae^ain  induced  to 
cross  the  Atlantic.  At  the  meetino;  of  the  General 
Association  of  Mass'achusetts,  in  June,  1834,  he  was 
appointed  a  delegate  to  represent  that  body  at  the 
annual  meeting  of  the  Congregational  Union  of 
England  and  Wales,  in  London.  With  the  intention 
of  passing  the  preceding  winter  on  the  continent  of 
Europe,  he  embarked  at  New  York  for  Havre,  in 
the  ship  Silvie  de  Grasse,  October  16,  1834,  accom- 
panied by  a  part  of  his  family.  It  will  be  unneces- 
sary hpre  to  give  the   particulars  of  this  journey, 


MEMOIR   OF  DR.   CODMAN.  133 

as,  on  his  return,  he  published  an  account  of  the 
religious  anniversaries  in  London,  together  with  a 
rapid  sketch  of  his  tour  on  the  continent,  in  a 
small  volume,  entitled,  *'  Visit  to  England."  He  re- 
turned to  America  in  September,  1835.  His  people 
received  him  with  a  most  warm  and  affectionate 
welcome,  and  he  engaged  anew  in  his  ministerial 
labors  with  undiminished  usefulness.  In  about  five 
years,  one  hundred  members  were  added  to  his 
church ;  and  the  demands  upon  his  time,  in  various 
fields  of  labor,  for  the  advancement  of  the  kingdom 
of  Christ,  continually  increased.  In  a  letter  dated 
October  20,  1841,  he  writes  : 

Things  go  on  with  us  very  quietly.  All  we  need  is  more 
attention  to  tlie  subject  of  religion,  and  this  we  need  greatly, 
"  Pray  for  us,  that  the  word  of  the  Lord  may  have  free  course, 
and  be  glorified."  I  feel  that  I  have  great  reason  for  grati- 
tude, for  the  innumerable  blessings  I  enjoy ;  and  for  none 
more  so,  than  the  blessing  of  health  with  which  I  have  been 
highly  favored.  Though  approaching  to  threescore,  I  am  still 
able  to  discharge  all  my  ministerial  duties  with  comfort,  and 
can  scarcely  realize  that  I  am  growing  old;  but  it  cannot  be 
denied.  My  dear  friend,  may  God  grant  that  we  may  both 
bring  forth  fruit  in  old  age,  and  that  our  friendship  may  con- 
tinue firm  and  ardent,  as  it  was  in  the  days  of  our  youth. 

To  show  his  tender  and  affectionate  interest  in 
the  spiritual,  as  well  as  temporal  welfare  of  those 


134  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

whom  he  loved,  a  few  extracts  of  letters,  written  to 
a  beloved  sister-in-law,  whose  attention  had  been 
called  to  the  subject  of  religion,  maj  here  be  intro- 
duced : 

June  3. 

I  am  obliged  to  you,  my  dear  sister,  for  the  freedom  with 
which  you  have  written  respecting  the  state  of  your  mind.  It 
would  give  me  the  greatest  delight  to  be  the  instrument  of 
helping  you  on  your  way  to  Zion.  You  ask  me  if,  by  approaching 
the  table  of  the  Lord,  you  may  hope  to  have  your  heart  warmed, 
&c.  I  can  only  say,  that  I  have  found  this  ordinance  a  source 
of  comfort  and  joy  which  I  cannot  describe  ;  and  though  I  have 
often  lamented  my  coldness  and  insensibility,  and  have  been 
deeply  sensible  of  my  unworthiness  to  sit  down  at  the  table,  yet 
I  have  never  regretted  being  united  with  the  church  of  Christ. 
Far  be  it  from  me  to  urge  you  to  make  a  profession  of  religion. 
I  would  not  do  so  upon  any  consideration.  My  object  in  my 
last  letter  was  only  to  call  your  attention  to  the  subject,  and  I 
should  not  have  done  even  this,  had  I  not  entertained  a  hope 
that  you  had  experienced  the  power  of  religion;  in  which  case  I 
conceive  it  is  the  duty  of  every  one  openly  to  profess  Christ 
before  men.  Whether  this  is  your  case,  my  dear  sister,  you 
may  form  some  opinion.  Let  me  advise  you  to  examine  your- 
self faithfully  by  the  rules  contained  in  the  word  of  God.  At 
the  same  time  that  you  are  strict  and  close  in  the  examination, 
remember  that  we  must  not  despise  the  day  of  small  things; 
that  the  weakest  believer  is  a  suitable  guest  for  the  table  of  the 
Lord,  and  that  a  merciful  Saviour  will  not  break  the  bruised 
reed  nor  quench  the  smoking  flax.  May  the  Lord  direct  and 
bless  you.  May  he  discover  to  you  your  duty,  and  enable  you 
to  perform  it. 


MEMOIK   OF  DR.   CODMAN.  135 

June  23. 

I  know  that  you  have  it  in  contemplation  to  make  a  profes- 
sion of  religion,  to  enter  into  an  everlasting  covenant  with  the 
Lord  your  God  ;  and  I  feel  it  my  duty  to  write  to  you  freely 
upon  this  subject,  in  the  hope  of  removing  any  difficulties  which 
you  may  feel,  and  of  confirming  you  in  the  path  which  you 
have  begun  to  tread. 

I  presume  that  the  principal  difficulty  which  now  lies  in  your 
way,  is  a  consciousness  of  not  being  prepared  for  such  an  impor- 
tant and  solemn  duty.  You  feel  that  you  have  so  many  corrup- 
tions, which  are  yet  unsubdued ;  that  you  are  afraid,  in  your 
present  state,  to  approach  the  table  of  the  Lord.  My  dear 
sister,  you  must  remember  that  sanctification  is  a  progressive 
work,  and  that  the  ordinance  of  the  Lord's  supper  is  one  of 
the  means  which  God  has  appointed  for  carrying  it  on  in  our 
souls.  It  is  sufficient,  if  we  have  reason  to  entertain  the  hope, 
that  God  has  begun  the  good  work  in  us.  We  are  encouraged, 
without  delay,  to  connect  ourselves  with  the  visible  church ;  to 
avail  ourselves  of  all  the  privileges  it  affijrds,  in  order  that  we 
may  grow  in  grace,  and  in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord  and 
Saviour  Jesus  Christ.  The  table  of  the  Lord  is  spread,  I  con- 
ceive, for  habcs  in  Christ  as  well  as  for  the  more  advanced  and 
experienced  Christian.  There  we  may  hope  to  have  our  faith 
increased,  our  love  excited,  our  hope  animated,  and  all  our 
graces  nourished.  It  is  true,  that  much  will  be  expected  of 
those  who  make  a  public  profession  of  religion  ;  but  I  trust  this 
does  not  operate  as  an  objection  in  your  mind.  If  I  am  not 
greatly  mistaken,  you  have  forever  renounced  the  world,  and 
are  willing  to  come  out  and  be  separate,  to  take  up  your  cross 
and  follow  Christ.  You  will  from  this  time,  I  have  no  doubt, 
be  a  companion  of  those  who  fear  God,  and  will  never  choose 
for  intimate  friends  those  who  are  strangers  to  the  power  of 
religion. 


136  MEMOIR  OF  DE.  CODMAN. 

In  this  day  of  delusion  and  error,  when  the  enemy  has  come 
in  like  a  flood,  and  when  men  will  not  endure  sound  doctrine, 
I  have  no  doubt  that  you  will  be  decided  in  your  attachment  to 
those  doctrines  which  are  calculated  to  debase  the  sinner  and 
exalt  the  Saviour.  You  will  not  for  a  moment  listen  to  the 
insinuating  arguments  of  those  who  wish  to  be  considered 
liberal  Christians,  but  who  "  deny  the  Lord  who  bought  them." 
My  dear  sister,  may  you  never  cease  to  be  attached  to  the  pecu- 
liar doctrines  of  the  gospel.  Let  it  always  be  the  language  of 
your  heart :  '*  God  forbid  that  I  should  glory,  save  in  the  cross 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  by  whom  the  world  is  crucified  unto 
me  and  I  unto  the  world." 

In  the  year  1845,  Dr.  Codman  made  his  last  visit 
to  Europe.  He  sailed  from  Boston,  accompanied 
by  his  youngest  son,  on  the  first  of  April,  in  the 
steamship  Cambria ;  and  was  absent  from  home 
about  six  months,  spending  most  of  his  time  among 
his  early  friends  in  England  and  Scotland.  This 
frequent  renewal  of  intercourse  with  those  whom 
he  had  known  and  loved  in  former  years,  was 
tinged  with  sadness  by  the  changes  wrought  by  the 
hand  of  time,  and  the  breaches  made  in  the  pleasant 
circle  during  each  successive  separation.  Some, 
who  very  dear  to  him,  had  been  called  to  their 
reward  since  his  last  visit ;  and  it  was  with  a  full 
heart  that  he  offered,  to  their  surviving  families  and 
friends,  the  tribute  of  his  affectionate  sympathy. 
He  had  the  happiness  of  seeing  again  his  old  friends 


MEMOIR   OF   DR.   CODMAN.  137 

at  Islington,  and  Drs.  Reed,  Matheson,  Burder  and 
Raffles.  He  went  one  morning  to  Swallow  Street 
Chapel,  where  he  had  preached  thirty-six  jears 
before ;  but  the  condition  of  this  Scotch  Church 
was  now  changed,  for,  in  the  Free  Church  move- 
ment, many  of  its  excellent  members  had  seceded 
and  formed  a  new  congregation. 

It  was  his  privilege  again  to  be  present  at  the 
interesting  anniversaries  of  the  benevolent  socie- 
ties in  London,  in  the  month  of  May.  At  the 
meeting  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Soci- 
ety, Lord  Teignmouth,  son  of  the  first  president, 
presided,  and  Dr.  Codman,  as  delegate  from  the 
American  Bible  Society,  made  a  speech,  which  was 
very  favorably  received,  and  was  afterwards  pub- 
lished. Other  addresses  were  made  by  the  Bishops 
of  Norwich  and  Chester,  Dr.  Cumming  of  Scot- 
land, and  others.  Dr.  Codman  was  also  invited  to 
address  the  Religious  Tract  Society,  on  its  forty- 
sixth  anniversary.  He  spoke  again  at  the  fifty-first 
anniversary  of  the  London  Missionary  Society,  at 
Exeter  Hall.  One  of  the  most  eloquent  speakers 
on  these  occasions  was  Dr.  Cumming,  a  zealous 
supporter  of  the  National  Scotch  Establishment,  in 
an  interview  with  whom.  Dr.  Codman  was  happy 
to  learn  that,  notwithstanding  the  secession  of  the 


138  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

Free  Church,  in  Scotland,  there  yet  remained  in 
the  Establishment  many  evangelical  ministers,  who 
knew,  and  loved,  and  preached  the  truth,  as  it  is  in 
Jesus  Christ.  At  the  meeting  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Union  of  England  and  Wales,  he  met  with 
two  or  three  hundred  ministers,  among  whom  he 
was  happy  to  be  introduced  to  Dr.  Harris  and  Mr. 
Jenkyn,  and  to  greet  again  many  of  his  old  friends. 
Dr.  Codman  made  a  rapid  tour  through  France, 
Italy,  and  Germany.  At  Hamburg  he  passed  a 
few  days,  and  enjoyed  the  opportunity  of  very 
pleasant  intercourse  with  the  relatives  of  his  son- 
in-law,  to  whose  kindness  and  hospitality  he  was 
very  much  indebted.  On  the  seventh  of  August, 
he  breakfasted  with  Dr.  Chalmers,  in  Edinburgh, 
and  had  an  interesting  interview  with  him.  At 
parting,  the  latter  inquired,  when  they  should  see 
each  other  again.  Dr.  Codman  replied,  that  he 
hoped  to  visit  Europe  again  in  1848.  '' O,  then," 
said  Dr.  Chalmers,  "  we  shall  meet  again  in  '48." 
Little  did  either  of  them  imagine  that,  ere  that 
period  arrived,  their  glorified  spirits  would  indeed 
meet,  unrestricted  by  the  limits  which  bound  our 
earthly  intercourse,  in  that  world  where  they  should 
together  receive  the  reward  promised  to  the  good 
and  faithful  servant. 


MEMOIR   OF   DR.   CODMAN.  139 

Dr.  Codman  preached  at  the  Free  Church  in 
Kenmore,  near  Taymouth  Castle,  the  seat  of  the 
Marquis  of  Breadalbane,  on  Sunday,  August  10. 
In  the  evening,  he  dined  at  the  Castle,  and  was 
very  hospitably  received  by  the  Earl  and  his  Lady. 
On  the  nineteenth  of  August,  he  sailed  from  Liver- 
pool in  the  Caledonia  ;  and  after  an  unusually  rough 
and  stormy  passage,  arrived  in  Boston,  Septem- 
ber 3,  1845. 


140  MEMOIR  OF  DR.   CODMAN, 


CHAPTER   IX. 

HIS     LAST     SICKNESS     AND     DEATH. 

The  closing  scenes  in  the  life  of  every  true 
minister  of  Christ  are  of  deep  interest.  He  is  now 
about  to  put  off  his  armor,  and  to  rest  from  his 
labors.  Like  the  holy  Apostle,  he  can  say :  "  I 
have  fought  a  good  fight,  I  have  finished  my  course, 
I  have  kept  the  faith.  Henceforth  there  is  laid 
up  for  me  a  crown  of  righteousness,  which  the 
Lord,  the  righteous  Judge,  shall  give  me  at  that 
day." 

The  faithful  pastor  is  now  standing  on  the  out- 
posts of  life.  He  has  heard  the  summons,  which 
warns  him  that  his  work  is  done  ;  and  he  solemnly 
reviews  his  ministry.  He  is  conscious  that  he  has 
declared  the  whole  counsel  of  God.  He  sees 
around  him  many  who  have  listened  to  his  warn- 
ings, and,  through  his  instructions  and  persuasions, 
have  turned  from  the  love  of  the  world  to  the  love 
of  God.  He  looks  back  to  the  scenes  of  his  early 
ministry,  to  the  friends  who  have  counselled  him  in 


MEMOIR   OF   DR.   CODMAN.  141 

his  difficulties,  and  supported  him  by  their  prayers ; 
but  they  have  gone  before  him  to  the  world  of 
spirits.  He  attended  them  with  a  pastor's  loye  to 
the  borders  of  death,  and  cheered  their  departing 
moments  with  the  hopes  and  consolations  of  the 
gospel.  He  wept  with  surviving  friends,  and  per- 
formed the  last  sad  offices  of  burial.  A  new  gen- 
eration has  risen  in  their  places  ;  but  they  are  the 
children  whom  he  baptized,  and  whom  he  has 
instructed  and  guided  in  the  path  of  life.  The 
bond  of  love,  which  united  him  to  the  fathers, 
and  which  was  broken  in  death,  has  been  twined 
around  the  hearts  of  the  children.  They  loved  and 
venerated  the  man  of  God.  His  deep  solicitude 
for  their  temporal  and  eternal  good,  had  filled  their 
hearts  with  gratitude.  Under  his  counsels,  his 
watchfulness,  and  his  prayers,  they  were  trained 
for  God  and  heaven ;  and  it  was  their  delight  to 
gladden  his  declining  years  with  tokens  of  unwaver- 
ing confidence  and  increasing  love.  But  they,  too, 
heard  the  voice  of  God,  and  saw  the  approaching 
messenger  of  death.  A  deep  gloom  gathered  over 
the  church  and  congregation,  as  the  hour  drew  near 
when  they  must  part  with  their  beloved  pastor. 
Their  beautiful  sanctuary  was  filled  with  mourners 
for  weeks  before  the  symbols  of  death  were  hung 


142  MEMOIE   or   DR.   CODMAN. 

upon  its  walls.  Many  a  tear  flowed,  many  an 
earnest  prayer  was  offered  for  the  pastor's  life ;  and 
a  solemn  pause  in  the  eager  pursuits  of  the  world 
attested  the  general  sorrow. 

But  how  was  it  with  the  pastor  himself?  The 
time  of  his  departure  was  at  hand  ;  and  he  was 
ready.  Those  holy  doctrines  which  he  had  so 
faithfully  preached,  and  which  had  gathered  around 
him  the  fairest  fruits  of  evangelical  faith,  were  now 
his  trust  and  confidence,  and  the  foundation  of  his 
own  hopes.  In  the  midst  of  the  severest  trials  of 
his  youthful  ministry,  when  urgently  pressed  to  yield 
to  the  liberal  influences  of  the  day,  he  publicly  de- 
clared, "  In  the  faith  of  these  doctrines  I  desire  to 
live,  and  in  the  faith  of  these  doctrines  I  hope  to 
die."     And  he  died  in  the  faith  of  them. 

The  closing  events  in  the  life  of  our  departed 
friend,  are  now  to  be  briefly  narrated.  In  the 
month  of  June,  1847,  he  was  admonished,  by  a 
violent  illness,  that  he  was  liable  to  sudden  and 
speedy  death.  He  soon  recovered  partially  from 
this  attack ;  but  the  symptoms  of  his  disease  left 
little  doubt,  in  his  mind,  that  his  life  was  near  its 
close.  He  hoped,  nevertheless,  by  suspending  his 
labors  for  a  time,  to  recover  strength  for  yet  more 


MEMOIR   OF   DE.   CODMAN.  143 

service  in  the  cause  of  his  Master.  He  was  able, 
in  the  month  of  September,  to  attend  a  meeting 
of  the  American  Board  of  Commissioners  for  For- 
eign Missions,  at  Buffalo,  of  which  he  had  for 
manj  years  been  a  member. 

In  a  letter,  of  November  sixth,  to  his  friend,  he 
says :  '*  I  returned  from  Buffalo  in  excellent  health, 
and  had  a  pleasant  journey ;  but  immediately  after 
my  return  I  was  seized  with  a  severe  influenza 
and  cold,  the  effects  of  which  remain,  in  great 
difficulty  of  breathing,  so  much  so  that  I  am  obliged 
entirely  to  suspend  for  the  present  the  labors  of 
the  pulpit.  I  am  this  morning  going  into  the  city 
to  consult  Dr.  Jackson."  After  speaking  of  some 
occurrences  in  his  family,  he  added  :  "  I  have 
reason  to  be  thankful  for  domestic  blessings,  but 
am  admonished,  by  present  symptoms,  that  I  may 
be  suddenly  removed  from  them  to  another  world. 
O  that  we  may  be  prepared  for  that  great  change 
which  awaits  us." 

On  the  third  of  December  following,  he  wrote  to 
the  same  friend,  as  follows  :  ''  Since  I  last  wrote 
you,  I  have  been  entirely  laid  aside  from  preaching, 
and  it  is  doubtful  whether  I  shall  ever  be  able  to 
preach  again.  Very  laborious  breathing,  arising 
from  some  difficulty  in  the  heart,  occasions  at  times 


144  MEMOIR   OF   DE.   CODMAN. 

great  distress  ;  and,  although  my  physician  assures 
me  that  there  is  no  immediate  danger  of  a  fatal 
result,  I  feel  admonished  to  prepare  for  the  event. 
It  would  give  me  great  pleasure  to  receive  a  visit 
from  you,  could  you  spare  time  from  other  engage- 
ments. Our  old  and  constant  friendship  affords  me 
great  comfort  in  the  review,  and  I  trust  that  we 
may  be  prepared  to  renew  it  in  a  better  world." 

In  compliance  with  his  wishes,  his  old  friend 
immediately  made  him  a  visit,  and  passed  a  few 
days  with  him, — the  last  days  of  their  intercourse 
on  the  earth.  Dr.  Codman  was  now  very  ill, 
though  able  to  walk,  and  occasionally  to  ride  out. 
It  was  the  wish  of  his  physician  and  his  family, 
that  his  feelings  of  discouragement,  as  to  the  re- 
covery of  his  strength,  might  be  counteracted,  so 
that  the  aid  of  hope  might  accompany  his  medical 
treatment.  His  own  judgment,  however,  seemed 
to  be  fixed,  that  he  was  near  the  close  of  his  days ; 
and  his  great  desire  was,  evidently,  that  he  might 
set  his  house  in  order,  and  obey  the  summons  of 
his  Lord.  His  friend  assisted  him  in  arranging  his 
affairs,  and  particularly  in  disposing  of  the  books 
of  his  valuable  library,  in  order  that  these  un- 
finished matters  might  no  longer  weigh  upon  his 
mind. 


MEMOIR  OF  DR.   CODMAN.  145 

He  had  preached  for  the  last  time,  in  the  pulpit, 
on  the  forenoon  of  Sunday,  October  17,  from  the 
text,  "  As  for  me  and  my  house,  we  will  serve  the 
Lord."  At  this  time  there  was  no  want  of  his 
usual  energy ;  but,  though  after  this  he  occasionally 
took  part  in  the  services  of  the  sanctuary,  he  did 
not  again  attempt  the  more  difficult  and  exhausting 
duty  of  preaching.  His  last  service  w^as  at  the 
communion  table,  on  the  Sabbath,  December  5, 
when  he  dispensed  the  elements  and  offered  one 
of  the  prayers.  In  this  devotional  exercise,  he 
alluded  with  deep  sensibility  to  the  death  of  Mr. 
Lemuel  Withington,  a  member  of  the  church,  aged 
ninety  years.  His  emotions,  on  this  occasion,  were 
doubtless  deepened  by  the  thought,  that  his  own 
departure  was  at  hand.  His  first  sermon,  nearly 
forty  years  before,  was  on  "  the  gospel  of  Christ," 
and  his  last  service  was  the  commemoration  of  the 
Saviour's  death. 

It  was  a  great  satisfaction  to  Dr.  Codman,  that 
the  young  licentiate,  who  assisted  him  on  this  day, 
was  one  on  whom  he  had  fixed  his  eyes  as  his 
desired  successor  in  the  ministry,  and  whom  his 
people  seemed  to  regard  with  much  favor.  This 
gentleman,  soon  after  the  decease  of  Dr.  Codman, 
was  ordained  as  pastor  of  the  church. 


146  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

As  he  rode  one  day,  with  his  friend,  to  a  distant 
part  of  his  parish,  they  stopped  before  the  house 
of  an  aged  pair,  the  members  of  his  church,  and 
long  his  friends.  They  came  out  to  take  once 
more  by  the  hand  their  much  respected  pastor.  It 
was  an  interview,  full  of  admonition  and  instruc- 
tion, between  those  who  had  long  been  intimately 
associated  in  the  service  of  God  on  the  earth,  but 
who  must  have  regarded  themselves  as  all  not  far 
distant  from  the  scenes  of  a  better  and  glorious 
world.  He  frequently  spoke  of  his  approaching 
death  with  great  calmness,  yet  with  deep  humility, 
aware  of  his  own  unworthiness,  and  relying  on 
"  the  only  name  under  heaven  "  whereby  he  could 
be  saved.  So  deeply  were  his  thoughts  absorbed  in 
the  contemplation  of  eternity,  that,  when  looking 
out  from  his  dwelling  where  the  beautiful  prospect 
extended  in  every  direction,  he  said  that  it  occa- 
sioned him  no  disquietude  to  think  of  parting  with 
objects  so  pleasant,  and  with  which  God  had  so 
long  refreshed  his  eye.  • 

Soon  after  his  friend  left  him,  the  symptoms  of 
his  disease  became  more  alarming.  "  On  the  Fri- 
day preceding  his  death,"  says  the  Rev.  Mr.  Dyer, 
"I  was  sitting  by  his  side,  when,  after  he  had  made 
some  grateful  remarks  respecting  the  intimate  and 


MEMOIR   OF   DR.   CODMAN.  147 

uninterrupted  pleasure  of  our  friendship,  I  spoke  to 
him  of  the  precious  consolations  of  the  gospel  he 
had  preached  to  others.  He  replied,  *  They  are 
precious,  and  I  feel  that  they  are  enough.'  I  sub- 
sequently mentioned  to  him  an  expression  of  the  late 
Rev.  Dr.  McAll,  who,  as  a  brother  minister  asked 
him  a  few  hours  before  his  death,  if  he  felt  that 
his  hope  of  heaven  was  securely  laid,  replied,  '  Aye^ 
in  oaths,  and  promises,  and  blood.^  As  I  finished 
the  sentence,  he  took  up  the  two  last  words,  and 
clasping  his  hands  said,  with  an  emphasis  and 
satisfaction  I  shall  never  forget,  '  and  blood  ! ' 
I  replied,  '  The  atonement  is  very  precious.'  He 
answered,  '  Oh  it  is,  it  is.^  On  the  following 
Sabbath  evening,  I  was  privileged  again  to  see 
and  pray  with  him.  He  was  at  the  time  suffering 
greatly,  and  could  scarcely  speak ;  still,  as  I  spoke 
to  him  of  the  sympathy  of  Jesus,  he  affectionately 
pressed  my  hand,  and  thus  signified  his  assent. 
The  same  night,  when  a  little  relieved  from  pain, 
he  exclaimed,  '  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul,'  and 
repeated  several  verses  of  the  one  hundred  and 
third  Psalm.  Subsequently,  as  a  member  of  his 
family  finished  the  quotation  of  some  Scripture 
promises,  unable  to  speak,  he  looked  up  with  an 
imploring   smile    for  her   to    continue    and    repeat 


148  MEMOIR   OF   DR.   CODMAN. 

Others.  And  when  desired,  the  day  before  his 
death,  to  give  some  sign  if  he  felt  the  Saviour 
precious  to  his  soul,  he  readily  and  firmly  pressed 
the  inquirer's  hand." 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Storrs,  in  a  discourse  at  his  funeral, 
gives  some  notices  of  his  last  hours.  *'  On  one 
occasion,  adverting  to  the  public  labors  he  loved  so 
well,  he  said,  *  I  have  endeavored  to  preach  in  the 
demonstration  of  the  Spirit,' — and  there  paused. 
He  soon  added,  *  In  my  Father's  house  are  many 
mansions.'  To  his  wife  in  tears,  as  she  stood  over 
his  bed  of  agony,  he  earnestly  said,  '  Let  not  your 
heart  be  troubled  !  You  believe  in  God ;  believe 
in  Christ.  I  am  willing  to  be  in  God's  hands.'  " 
He  died  in  calmness,  and  in  the  confidence  of 
Christian  hope,  on  the  morning  of  Thursday,  De- 
cember 23,  1847,  aged  sixty-five  years. 

"  On  Friday  morning,"  writes  another  friend, 
*^  I  learned  that  Dr.  Codman  was  no  more.  I  had 
endeavored  to  prepare  myself  for  the  sorrowful 
tidings  ;  but  when  I  heard  that  he  was  gone  in- 
deed, the  sad  reality  overpowered  me,  and,  seeking 
where  I  might  weep,  I  entered  into  a  chamber,  and 
wept  there.  The  remembrances  of  nearly  forty 
years  swept  before  my  mind,  and  images  of  glad- 
ness and  grief,  of  kindness  and  love,  of  svy^eet  com- 


MEMOIR   OF   DR.   CODMAN.  149 

munion  and  hallowed  hours,  deepened  the  tide  of 
sorrow,  and  cast  a  dreary  shade  over  the  world. 
But  it  was  not  for  him  I  wept.  Thanks  be  unto 
God,  he  had  gotten  the  victory.  Death  had  no 
more  dominion  over  him.  He  was  landed  on  that 
blissful  shore,  where  the  conflicts  of  life  shall 
agitate  him  no  more  ;  and  the  blessings  he  so  richly 
shared  on  earth,  have  expanded  into  the  felicities 
and  glories  of  the  heavenly  world. 

"  In  the  afternoon,  I  went  to  the  house  of  mourn- 
ing. As  I  passed  up  the  winding  pathway,  which 
led  to  that  dwelling  w^here  I  had  enjoyed  so  many 
tokens  of  welcome  and  friendship,  the  signs  of 
desolation  and  grief  were  everywhere  visible.  It 
was  winter ;  and  the  wild  gusts  of  the  bitter  wind 
shook  the  trees,  and  sighed  among  the  leafless 
branches.  Silence  and  sadness  rested  on  the  vil- 
lage, the  church,  and  among  the  habitations  of  men. 
The  great  master  was  gone.  It  was  grief  in  that 
expressive  stillness,  which  is  only  marked  by  the 
habiliments  of  death. 

"  I  entered  the  chamber,  where  the  form  of  the 
departed  pastor  was  laid.  There,  in  its  calm  and 
peaceful  aspect,  its  manly  proportions  and  its  coun- 
tenance serene,  as  in  the  quiet  embrace  of  sleep,  it 
attested  his  victory  over  death.      He  had  indeed 


150  MEMOIR  OF  DR.   CODMAN. 

fallen  in  the  conflict,  but  his  spirit  had  triumphed 
over  mortality,  and  the  gloom  of  the  grave  had 
been  exchanged  for  the  chariots  of  Israel  and  the 
horsemen  thereof.  Who  would  have  wished  him 
back  to  the  conflicts  and  storms  of  this  mortal  life  ? 
Who  would  desire  to  '  revive  the  troubled  dream 
of  life,  in  a  sleep  that  was  now  so  peaceful  ? '  " 

On  Monday,  December  27,  the  solemn  offices 
of  burial  were  performed.  The  day  was  severely 
cold  ;  but,  in  the  sanctuary,  the  warm  love  of  a 
devoted  people  had  thronged  its  pews  and  aisles 
with  sincere  mourners.  His  friend,  Dr.  Storrs  of 
Braintree,  preached  a  fervently  eloquent  discourse 
from  Hebrews  xi.  16  :  "  But  now  they  desire  a  bet- 
ter country,  that  is,  an  heavenly,"  &c. ;  after  which, 
a  long  procession  followed  his  remains  to  the  south 
burial  ground,  where  they  were  placed  in  a  tomb 
as  a  temporary  place  of  repose. 

Dr.  Storrs,  in  his  funeral  discourse,  has  given  a 
faithful  delineation  of  his  character,  and  account  of 
his  labors.  After  speaking  of  the  wisdom  and 
heroism  manifested  during  the  ecclesiastical  con- 
troversy at  the  outset  of  his  ministry,  he  adds  : 
"  Through  the  whole  of  his  remaining  days,  his 
course  exhibited  a  bright  pattern  of  pastoral  fidelity 
in  the  services  of  the  pulpit,  the  lecture  room,  the 


MEMOIR   OF  DR.   CODMAN.  151 

prayer  meeting,  at  the  bedside  of  the  sick  and 
dying,  in  the  cottage  of  the  poor,  and  the  mansion 
of  the  opulent 

"  On  the  broader  fields  of  ministerial  labor,  his 
calls  were  multiplied  almost  beyond  a  parallel. 
Few  ecclesiastical  councils  have  been  convened, 
within  a  wide  region  around,  of  which  he  was  not 
a  chosen  member,  and  commonly  the  presiding 
officer.  His  uniform  urbanity  of  manners,  the  well 
known  tenderness  of  his  heart,  his  quick  discern- 
ment of  the  right  and  the  wrong,  the  promptness 
with  which  he  accepted,  and  the  facility  with  which 
he  performed  every  duty  assigned  him,  inspired 
universal  confidence.  Few  men  have  so  rarely 
erred  in  judgment,  and  fewer  still  have  found  their 
decisions  so  justly  appreciated ;  while  to  none  has 
been  more  freely  accorded,  at  all  times,  the  high 
praise  of  just  and  unprejudiced  attention  to  the 
business  before  him. 

*'  His  warm  devotion  to  the  prosperity  of  Zion, 
and  his  known  liberality  in  the  use  of  his  ample 
means  for  extending  her  boundaries,  brought  him, 
of  course,  into  close  communion  with  the  various 
benevolent  associations  of  our  age  and  country. 
What  enterprise  of  benevolence  has  ever  urged  a 
just  claim  on  the  advocacy  and  pecuniary  support 


152  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

of  the  church,  that  met  not  a  cordial  response  from 
him  ?  What  association  of  unquestionable  character 
enrolls  not  his  name  among  its  benefactors,  and  its 
elected  or  honorary  members  ?  And  where  is  the 
man,  who  has  poured  forth  more  freely  and  accept- 
ably the  strains  of  eloquence,  and  faith  and  prayer, 
in  the  annual  convocations  of  those  who  labor  for 
the  world's  conversion  ?  Of  his  private  charities,  no 
account  is  kept  in  human  records,  for  even  his  right 
hand  knew  not  w^hat  his  left  hand  did  ;  but  that 
they  were  abundant  and  free,  ten  thousand  wit- 
nesses on  earth  can  testify,  and  the  opened  books 
of  heaven  will  hereafter  declare." 

As  an  instance  of  his  liberality,  Mr.  Dyer  men- 
tions that,  after  the  formation  of  the  Village  Church 
in  Dorchester,  he  provided  a  preacher  at  his  own 
expense,  between  one  and  two  years,  and  assisted 
in  the  erection  of  the  house  of  worship.  His  whole 
contribution  to  the  support  of  an  evangelical  minis- 
try in  this  village,  and  to  the  erection  and  enlarge- 
ment of  this  house,  during  a  period  of  five  years, 
was  above  three  thousand  and  five  hundred  dollars. 

Dr.  Codman's  manner  in  the  pulpit  was  dignified 
and  serious.  His  voice  was  clear  and  impressive  ; 
and  his  sermons,  sometimes  very  forcible,  always 
well   arranged  and  perspicuous,  were  at  times  deliv- 


MEMOIR   OF  DR.   CODMAN.  153 

ered  in  a  style  of  remarkable  pathos  and  eloquence. 
He  was  singularly  happy  in  the  adaptation  of  his 
subjects  to  the  circumstances  of  his  hearers.  Few 
ministers  have  excelled  him  on  communion  occa- 
sions. When  the  love  of  Christ  was  his  theme, 
all  his  sensibilities  were  awakened  ;  and  when  he 
gathered  his  flock  around  the  table  of  the  Lord, 
many  a  disciple  has  exclaimed,  *'  How  dreadful  is 
this  place  ;  surely,  this  is  none  other  than  the  house 
of  God,  and  this  is  the  gate  of  heaven  !  " 

"  It  is  difficult  to  understand,"  says  Dr.  Storrs, 
"  how  our  dear  brother  found  leisure  and  ability  to 
meet  the  claims  of  the  study  and  the  pulpit,  with 
all  these  demands  on  his  time  and  resources  ;  with 
the  additional  demands  of  literary  and  theological 
institutions  on  his  supervision,  and  the  numberless 
calls  of  family  connections  and  personal  friends 
from  all  parts  of  this  and  other  lands,  and  a  widely 
extended  correspondence  of  business  and  friend- 
ship. Yet  he  failed  not,  from  week  to  week,  to 
bring  from  his  treasures  things  new  and  old ;  to 
preach  instructively  '  in  season  and  out  of  sea- 
son ; '  and  to  satisfy  the  wants  of  his  own  and 
the  expectations  of  other  congregations.  And  the 
secret  of  this  lay  not  so  much  in  the  originality  or 
depth,  as  in  the   transparency  of  his  thoughts ;  not 

20 


154  MEMOIR   OF  DR.   CODMAN. 

SO  much  in  the  extensiveiiess  of  his  theological 
researches,  as  in  the  purity  of  his  soul's  breathings  ; 
nor  so  much  in  his  power  of  rich  and  diversified 
illustration,  or  closely  woven  argument,  as  in  the 
scriptural  simplicity  and  pathos  of  his  discourses, 
and  the  perfect  adaptation  of  his  style  and  manner 
to  his  well-chosen  subject." 

It  is  probable  that  the  usefulness  of  Dr.  Codman 
as  a  minister,  was  much  increased  by  a  prominent 
trait  of  his  character,  which  greatly  endeared  him 
to  his  friends.  We  mean  his  ardent  social  feel- 
ings ;  his  ready  sympathy ;  the  warmth  and  benig- 
nity of  his  heart ;  the  true,  unaffected  interest, 
which  he  took  in  the  welfare  of  others.  His  was 
no  austere  dignity;  though  never  failing  in  a  just 
regard  to  his  ministerial  character,  yet  a  genial 
glow  of  kindness  was  visible  in  his  countenance, 
and  his  feelings  of  sympathy  and  gladness  have 
mingled  in  many  a  scene  of  happiness,  and  dis- 
pelled the  gloom  from  many  a  desolate  fireside. 
He  delighted  to  minister  to  the  comfort  of  those 
who  were  less  favored  than  himself,  and  gathered 
from  the  afflicted,  those  salutary  lessons  which 
chastened  and  moderated  the  worldly  tendencies  of 
his  own  prosperity. 

If   he   possessed,    in  an   uncommon  degree,   the 


MEMOIR   OF   DR.   CODMAN.  155 

power  of  disarming  prejudice  and  of  commending 
to  others  the  faith  which  he  preached,  it  was  be- 
cause his  own  life  bore  the  fruits  of  goodness,  and 
because  he  gave  evidence  of  perfect  sincerity  and 
of  honest  zeal  for  the  highest  welfare  of  those 
whom  he  addressed.  That,  through  the  efficiency 
of  the  Divine  Spirit,  he  was  so  successful  in  his 
labors,  seems  to  be  a  testimony  of  Heaven  to  his 
faithfulness  in  preaching  the  gospel.  He  doubtless 
felt  much  satisfaction,  in  his  last  days,  in  reflect- 
ing that,  after  a  ministry  of  nearly  forty  years,  he 
should  leave  his  church  in  such  a  prosperous  and 
happy  condition,  familiar  with  the  peculiar  doctrines 
of  the  gospel,  reverencing  the  Sabbath,  observing 
the  ordinances  of  religion,  training  up  their  children 
in  the  right  way,  and  showing,  in  all  the  methods 
of  holy  living,  the  power  of  Christian  principle. 
He  had  taught  them  the  duty  and  necessity  of  per- 
severing to  the  end,  in  order  that  they  might  inherit 
the  immortal  blessings  which,  as  he  hoped,  he  was 
about  to  possess.  How  might  he  have  associated, 
in  his  thoughts,  their  unfaltering  faithfulness  with 
the  expansion  of  religion  in  future  times  on  the 
earth,  from  this  one  point  of  the  Redeemer's  Zion  ; 
with  the  kindling  up,  from  this  holy  light,  of  an 
increasing,  widening  splendor,  from  age  to  age,  till 


156  MEMOIR  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

its   radiance  should   be  lost  in  the  full  millennial 
glory  ? 

Whatever  might  have  been  his  dear  and  cher- 
ished hopes,  he  has  gone  from  his  much-loved  field 
of  labor.  He  is  dead ;  yet  he  only  sleepeth.  He 
w^ill  awake  again.  In  the  morning  of  the  resur- 
rection, he  and  his  beloved  friends,  and  every  faith- 
ful pastor,  with  his  people,  will  awake  to  a  new 
and  blessed  never-ending  life.  Let  the  people  of 
his  late  charge,  then,  and  the  people  of  every 
faithful  pastor,  be  persuaded  to  examine  themselves, 
and  to  determine  whether  they  are  likely  to  share 
in  the  resurrection  of  the  just,  and  to  be  their 
pastor's  "  hope,  and  joy,  and  crown  of  rejoicing, 
in  the  presence  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  at  his 
coming ! " 


EEMINISCENCES 


OF  THE  LATE 


JOHN   CODMAN,  D.  D, 


ERIEF  NOTICES  OF  THE  PROMINENT  TRAITS  OF  HIS  CHARACTER. 
BY    JOSHUA    BATES,   D.  D. 


REMINISCENCES 


The  name  of  John  Codman,  belongs  to  the 
ecclesiastical  history  of  New  England  ;  and  will, 
unquestionably,  occupy  a  prominent  place  in  that 
history  when,  at  some  future  period,  it  shall  be 
written  by  a  faithful  hand,  and  be  made  to  embrace 
in  its  records  all  the  leading  events  and  distin- 
guished men  connected  with  the  organization  of 
churches  in  this  land,  and  their  progress  to  this 
time.  It  is  no  part  of  my  intention,  however,  to 
write  such  a  history,  nor  even  to  give  a  full  biography 
of  the  subject  of  these  reminiscences.  The  former 
of  these  tasks  must  be  performed  by  some  future  his- 
torian, who  shall  be  able,  after  the  results  of  present 
movements  and  changes  shall  be  seen,  to  take  a 
retrospective  and  comprehensive  view  of  the  whole 
ground,  with  an  impartial  and  discriminating  eye  ; 


160         REMINISCENCES   OF  DR.   CODMAN. 

and  shall  be  so  far  removed  from  the  exciting 
influence  of  the  scene,  as  to  be  able  to  delineate 
characters,  and  record  events,  with  a  steady  and 
impartial  hand.  And  the  latter  has  been  assigned 
to  a  familiar  friend,  capable  of  doing  justice  to  the 
subject. 

It  is  my  purpose  simply  to  record  my  own  recol- 
lections of  Dr.  Codman,  and  present  the  record  to 
his  family  and  the  public,  with  a  few  brief  notices 
of  such  distinguishing  traits  of  his  character  as  fell 
within  my  own  observation,  and  with  such  reflec- 
tions and  practical  hints  as  are  naturally  suggested 
by  the  narrative.  I  shall,  therefore,  refer  to  the 
history  of  the  times  no  further  than  is  necessary 
to  illustrate  the  transactions  in  which  he  was 
engaged,  and  to  exhibit  the  prominent  traits  of 
character  which  w^ere  developed  by  them. 

For  the  sake  of  convenient  reference,  however, 
I  subjoin  to  these  prefatory  remarks  two  chrono- 
logical statements. 

John  Codman  was  born  in  Boston,  August  3, 
1782,  and  died  at  Dorchester,  December  23,  1847, 
in  the  sixty-fifth  year  of  his  age,  and  fortieth  of 
his  ministry ;  leaving  the  beloved  wife  of  his  youth 
and  six  children,  three  sons  and  three  daughters, 
with  a  large  circle  of  friends  in  this  country  and 


REMINISCENCES    OF   DR.   CODMAN.  161 

in  Europe,   to   lament    his    death,   but   admire    his 
character  and  cherish  his  memory. 

"  Calm  resignation,  patient  endurance,  undoubt- 
ing  confidence  in  the  covenant-faithfulness  of  God," 
we  are  assured,  *'  were  the  bright  features  of  his 
closing  earthly  experience." 

"  Blessed  are  the  dead  ivho  die  in  the  Lord.'^^ 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  MR.  CODMAN    IN    COLLEGE,  AND    DURING  THE  TIME 
OF  HIS   PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE   MINISTRY. 

With  Mr.  Codman,  I  had  no  familiar  acquaint- 
ance before  his  settlement  in  the  ministry  at  Dor- 
chester. I  knew  him,  indeed,  at  Cambridge,  where 
we  often  met  during  the  period  of  our  co-residence 
at  that  seat  of  learning.  But  as  we  were  con- 
nected with  different  classes  in  the  University,  he 
whh  the  class  which  was  graduated  in  1802,  and 
I  with  that  of  1800,  our  meetings  were  transient, 
our  personal  intercourse  was  slight,  and  our  ac- 
quaintance with  each  other  was,  of  course,  neither 
intimate  nor  familiar.  I  knew  him  only  as  an 
amiable  young  man,  and  a  highly  respectable 
member  of  one  of  the  most  distinguished  classes 
which  ever  received  the  nurture  and  honor  of  our 

21 


162  REMINISCENCES   OF  DR.   CODMAN. 

venerated  alma  mater.  I  knew  him,  not  so  much 
individually,  and  absolutely,  as  relatively  ;  as  viewed 
in  connection  with  his  classmates ;  as  a  companion 
and  associate  in  letters  with  such  men  as  Dr,  Allen, 
late  President  of  Bowdoin  College  ;  the  Hon.  J. 
T.  Austin  of  Boston,  formerly  Attorney  General  of 
Massachusetts ;  Dr.  Crocker  of  Providence,  R.  I. ; 
Dr.  Flint  of  Salem  ;  Professor  Frisbie,  deceased  ; 
S.  Greele,  Esq.  of  Boston  ;  R.  D.  Harris,  Esq.  of 
Boston ;  Hon.  S.  Hoar  of  Concord  ;  J.  N.  Knapp, 
Esq.  of  Walpole,  N.  H.  ;  Gov.  Lincoln  of  Worces- 
ter ;  Hon.  W.  Minot  of  Boston  ;  Dr.  Nichols  of 
Portland  ;  A.  Ritchie,  Esq.  of  Boston  ;  E.  Rock- 
wood,  Esq.,  deceased ;  aiM  the  late  Hon.  L.  Salton- 
stall  of  Salem. 

As  a  scholar,  my  impression  was  that  young 
Codman  held  a  medium  rank  in  this  highly  distin- 
guished class.  And  a  singular  fact,  connected  with 
the  conferring  of  the  literary  honors  of  the  institu- 
tion,— the  fact  that  an  honorable  part  was  assigned 
to  him,  subsequently  to  the  public  announcement 
of  the  arrangements  for  the  commencement  exer- 
cises of  his  class, — shows  that  this  impression  was 
in  accordance  with  *' the  second,  sober  thoughts" 
and  final  decision  of  the  governors  and  instructors 
of  the  college. 


REMINISCENCES    OF    DR.   CODMAN.  163 

Whether  he  was  a  professor  of  religion  or  not, 
while  an  under-graduate  in  college,  I  have  no 
means  of  ascertaining.  My  belief  is,  that  he  had 
not,  at  that  period,  made  a  public  profession,  by 
becoming  a  member  of  any  organized  church.  He 
did,  however,  as  far  as  I  had  opportunity  to  observe, 
maintain  a  high  moral  character,  and  exhibit  a 
reverential  respect  for  religion  and  its  institutions. 

From  the  time  of  my  leaving  Cambridge,  in 
1800,  till  the  time  of  Mr.  Codman's  ordination, 
December  7th,  1808,  when  he  became  one  of  my 
nearest  neighbors  and  most  intimate  associates  in 
the  ministry,  we  had  no  opportunity  for  personal 
intercourse  with  each  other.  I  did,  indeed,  occa- 
sionally hear  of  him,  and  learn  something  of  his 
movements.  I  knew  the  fact  of  his  engaging  in 
the  study  of  the  law,  preparatory  to  his  proposed 
professional  pursuits  for  life.  And  I  heard,  with 
great  interest,  that  the  death  of  his  father,  with 
the  peculiar  feelings  and  strong  desires  of  that  hon- 
ored and  beloved  parent,  expressed  in  his  last 
hours,  had  become  the  occasion  of  young  Codman's 
changing  his  purpose  as  to  his  professional  pursuits, 
and  of  his  commencing  the  study  of  theology. 
Whether  he  dated  his  hope  of  acceptance  with 
God,  and  his  consecration  of  himself  to  the  service 


164  REMINISCENCES  OF   DE.   CODMAN. 

of  his  Redeemer  at  this  period,  or  whether  this 
was  simply  the  time  and  occasion  of  renewed  and 
peculiar  consecration  and  self-devotion  to  this  ser- 
vice, and  of  his  adopting  this  new  mode  of  glorify- 
ing his  God  and  Saviour,  I  never  heard  him  say, 
nor  ever  distinctly  learned.  But  the  fact  of  his 
change  of  purpose  and  course  of  life,  and  the  occa- 
sion of  the  change,  were  known  and  spoken  of, 
with  interest,  by  those  who  loved  the  cause  of 
Zion,  in  all  the  region  about  Boston. 

Another  recollected  incident  I  state  here,  not  on 
account  of  its  intrinsic  importance,  but  because  it 
recurs  to  mind  as  a  reminiscence  connected  with 
the  religious  usages  of  the  day,  and  because  it  fur- 
nishes opportunity  for  a  conservative  remark  on  the 
customs  of  our  Puritan  fathers,  and  the  importance 
of  adhering  to  "  the  good  old  ways "  of  piety  in 
which  they  walked.  On  the  28th  of  July,  1805, 
I  preached,  on  exchange,  in  Boston ;  and,  as  I  was 
entering  the  door  of  the  church,  a  note  was  handed 
me,  of  this  import  :  *'  A  young  man,  about  to  cross 
the  ocean,  desires  the  prayers  of  this  congregation 
to  Almighty  God,  that  he  would  protect  and  bless 
him,  and,  in  due  time,  return  him  in  safety  to  his 
friends  and  country."  This  young  man,  as  I  after- 
ward  learned,  was   John   Codman,  who  sailed  on 


REMINISCENCES   OF  DR.   CODMAN.  165 

the  Tuesday  following,  in  a  ship  bound  to  Liver- 
pool, with  a  view  of  proceeding  to  Edinburgh,  and 
there  of  pursuing  studies  connected  with  his  newly 
chosen  profession.  The  note  was  read  ;  the  prayer 
was  offered ;  and  the  petition  was  granted. 

This  incident,  as  I  said,  may  appear  to  some  of 
small  importance ;  but  to  him  and  to  me,  it  was  one 
of  pleasing  recollection.  It  is  recorded  here,  how- 
ever, principally  for  the  purpose  of  introducing  the 
following  remark  : — Our  Puritan  fathers  made  it  a 
fundamental  principle  of  their  religion  to  follow  the 
directions  of  the  Scriptures,  as  fully  and  precisely 
as  possible.  They  made  them,  indeed,  the  rule  of 
their  faith,  and  the  guide  of  their  lives  ;  embracing 
the  doctrines  which  they  teach,  without  gainsaying 
or  distrust,  and  obeying  the  precepts  which  they 
contain,  without  perversion  or  reluctance.  Accord- 
ingly, it  was  their  custom  to  make  everything,  per- 
taining to  life  and  to  godliness,  a  subject  of  prayer 
and  thanksgiving ;  to  acknowledge  God  in  all  their 
ways,  ask  his  blessing  on  all  their  pursuits,  and 
give  thanks  to  him  for  all  his  mercies,  through 
Jesus  Christ.  As  social  beings,  required  to  meet 
in  the  name  of  Christ  and  pray  for  one  another, 
and  believing  the  special  promise  made  to  those 
who  thus  unite  in  prayer,  and  agree  as  touching 


166  REMINISCENCES   OF   DR.   CODMAN. 

the  thing  that  they  ask,  they  often  offered  prayers 
and  gave  thanks,  in  their  public  assemblies,  for 
individuals  and  communities,  by  special  appoint- 
ment or  particular  request.  In  accordance  with 
this  general  principle  and  uniform  practice,  it  was 
customary,  when  any  person  or  family,  belonging 
to  a  congregation,  had  received  special  blessings, 
or  were  passing  through  severe  trials,  or  were  about 
to  commence  some  important  enterprise,  to  send  a 
note  to  the  sanctuary,  requesting  their  fellow- 
worshipers  to  unite  with  them,  as  the  case  might 
be,  either  in  prayer  or  thanksgiving,  to  him  "  from 
whom  all  blessings  flow."  This  custom  of  our 
pious  ancestors,  observed  by  them  with  great  rever- 
ence, and  continued,  till  recently,  in  most  of  our 
evangelical  churches,  was  surely  a  good  custom, 
founded  on  Scripture  authority;  and  I  am  afraid 
that  the  growing  neglect  of  it,  in  these  days,  is 
connected  with  a  diminution  of  a  proper  sense  of 
dependence  on  the  providence  and  grace  of  God. 
I  wish,  therefore,  that  the  practice  could  be  revived, 
and  observed  with  all  the  seriousness  and  faith 
which  characterized  the  worship  of  former  days. 


EEMINISCENCES   OF   DK.   CODMAN.  167 


HIS    ORDINATION  AND   SETTLEMENT    IN    DORCHESTER,    AND    MY   SUBSE- 
QUENT  FAMILIAR  ACQUAINTANCE  AND  INTERCOURSE   WITH   HIM. 

When  Mr.  Codman  returned  from  Europe,  in  the 
Spring  of  1808,  I  heard  of  him  as  an  interesting 
and  impressive  preacher ;  and,  with  great  satisfac- 
tion, I  soon  learned  that  there  was  a  prospect  of 
his  being  settled  in  the  second  parish,  then  a  newly 
organized  society  in  Dorchester.  The  prospect 
was  pleasant  to  me,  because  this  parish  was  adja- 
cent to  the  first  parish  in  Dedham,  with  which  I 
had  then  been  connected  for  five  years,  and  be- 
cause I  had  already  become  somewhat  acquainted 
in  Dorchester,  and  deeply  interested  in  the  pros- 
perity of  this  new  society.  Indeed,  the  known 
difference  of  sentiment,  which  prevailed  in  the 
parish,  created  an  apprehension  that  no  candidate 
could  obtain  a  united  call  of  the  church  and  people 
to  become  their  pastor  and  teacher  ;  or,  if  any  one 
should  be  called  and  settled,  that  the  settlement 
would  soon  be  disturbed,  and  the  position  of  the 
incumbent  be  rendered  one  of  disquiet  and  severe 
trials.  Mr.  Codman's  frankness,  connected  with 
the  kind  manner  in  which  he  announced  his  senti- 
ments, however,  prevented  the  first  of  these  appre- 


168  REMINISCENCES   OF   DR.   CODMAN. 

hensions,  and  secured  an  apparently  harmonious 
action  of  the  church  and  the  parish.  But  it  was 
not  in  the  power  and  wisdom  of  man,  as  will  be 
seen  in  the  sequel,  to  prevent  the  occurrence  of  the 
second,  and  preserve  peace  and  harmony  among 
such  discordant  elements. 

From  the  time  of  Mr.  Codman's  ordination,  till 
the  time  of  my  removal  to  Middlebury,  Vermont,  in 
1818,  our  acquaintance  with  each  other  was  inti- 
mate, and  our  social  and  ministerial  intercourse 
uninterrupted  and  confidential. 

This  intimate  acquaintance  and  familiar  inter- 
course between  us,  commenced  immediately  after 
his  ordination.  Our  exchanges  were  frequent ;  and 
we  both  wished  to  have  it  so,  that  we  might  often 
see  each  other,  and  have  opportunity  to  converse 
together  on  the  great  subjects  of  our  professional 
duties  and  high  responsibilities.  On  my  part  there 
were  additional  inducements,  because  I  had  become 
acquainted  with  many  of  his  people,  and  felt  an 
interest  in  their  spiritual  prosperity ;  and  especially, 
because  the  people  of  my  charge  were  highly  grati- 
fied, and,  as  I  believed,  greatly  edified  by  the 
arrangement. 

But,  when  the  difficulties  in  his  parish,  which 
tried   his  wisdom    and    patience  and   firmness,  for 


REMINISCENCES   OF    DR.   CODMAN.  169 

three  long  years,  began  to  appear,  I  saw  him  still 
more  frequently  than  before  ;  and  had  opportunity 
to  observe  more  minutely,  and  mark  with  more 
accuracy,  the  prominent  traits  of  his  character. 
Especially,  when  called  to  sit  by  his  side  during  the 
long  session  of  the  memorable  Dorchester  Eccle- 
siastical Council,  and  to  see  his  meekness,  fortitude 
and  self-possession,  under  accusations  cruel  and  un- 
founded ;  and  to  observe  with  what  forbearance  he 
spoke  of  his  revilers,  and  with  what  composure  and 
success  he  vindicated  his  character  and  justified  his 
ministerial  course,  I  had  opportunity  to  learn  *  what 
spirit  he  was  of,'  and  discover  the  discriminating 
traits  of  his  character,  as  they  were  thus  fully 
developed. 

That,  however,  which  gave  me  the  best  oppor- 
tunity to  know  him  as  a  preacher  of  the  gospel,  *  a 
scribe  well-instructed  unto  the  kingd  m  of  heaven,' 
a  man  of  high  social  qualities,  and  a  Christian  of 
deep  experience  and  warm-hearted  piety,  was  our 
union,  together  with  Dr.  Gile  of  Milton,  in  what 
may  not  improperly  be  denominated  a  Special 
Association.  For  eight  or  nine  years,  we  three 
maintained  such  an  association  ;  visiting  each  other 
(often  with  our  wives,  always  indeed  when  practi- 
cable)  once  every  two  weeks,   dining  together  at 


170  REMINISCENCES   OF  DR.   CODMAN. 

each  other's  houses,  and  in  succession  preaching 
each  other's  preparatory  lectures.  The  arrange- 
ment was  one  of  deep  interest,  furnishing  opportu- 
nity for  sweet  Christian  and  ministerial  intercourse 
and  mutual  improvement.  Of  this  delightful  and 
profitable  association,  the  memory  is  precious. 
Three  of  the  members,  Mrs.  Bates,  Dr.  Gile  and 
Dr.  Codman,  are  now  gone,  but  not  forgotten. 
The  latter,  who  died  December  23,  1847,  lived 
to  write  for  the  Boston  Recorder,  a  biographical 
sketch  of  the  former,  who  died  February  7,  1 826  ; 
and  to  preach  at  the  funeral  of  Dr.  Gile,  who  died 
October  16,  1836. 

Perhaps  it  may  be  thought,  that  I  should  have 
omitted  the  record  of  this  reminiscence,  as  inap- 
posite in  this  connection  ;  but  it  is  full  of  interest 
to  myself,  and  I  doubt  not  to  the  two  other  surviv- 
ing associates  and  companions  of  the  deceased. 
And  I  could  not  omit  it  here,  without  concealing 
the  ground  on  which  the  credibility,  of  many  of  the 
following  statements  of  facts  and  notices  of  charac- 
ter, must  depend  ;  especially  with  those  who  had 
no  personal  acquaintance  with  Mr.  Codman.  Be- 
sides, I  was  unwilling,  while  recording  my  recollec- 
tions of  one  deceased  and  beloved  ministerial  friend, 
to  omit  the    name  of  another,  so   intimately  and 


REMINISCENCES   OF   DR.   CODMAN.  171 

endearinglj  associated  with  ours,  as  that  of  the 
late  Rev.  Samuel  Gile.  He  was,  indeed,  a  dear 
friend,  possessing  a  lovely  spirit,  eminently  a  man 
of  prayer,  and  a  faithful  minister  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ. 

When  I  was  called  away  from  Dedham,  and  be- 
came connected  with  Middlebury  College,  my  per- 
sonal intercourse  with  Mr.  Codman  was  necessarily 
interrupted  and  greatly  diminished.  Still  we  were 
permitted  to  hold  correspondence  by  letter,  and 
frequently  to  see  each  other  '  face  to  face.'  Twice 
he  visited  me  at  Middlebury ;  and  in  my  frequent 
visits  to  Massachusetts,  during  my  residence  in 
Vermont,  I  never  failed  to  visit  him  and  spend  a 
portion  of  the  time  allotted,  at  his  friendly  and 
hospitable  mansion.  On  my  return  to  the  active 
duties  of  the  ministry,  in  our  native  State,  he  con- 
sented to  preach  at  my  installation  at  Dudley,  just 
forty  years  from  the  time  of  my  ordination  at 
Dedham,  and  thirty-five  from  the  time  of  his  induc- 
tion into  the  pastoral  ofiice  in  Dorchester.  Nor 
did  our  friendly  and  confidential  intercourse  cease, 
till  his  death.  Most  of  the  reminiscences  and  no- 
tices of  character  which  I  have  to  present,  however, 
must  be  drawn  from  our  ten  years'  intimate  in- 
tercourse, between   1808   and   1818.     During  this 


172  REMINISCENCES    OF  DR.   CODMAN. 

period,  as  already  stated,  I  had  opportunity  to  see 
him  and  hear  him,  and  converse  with  him  often, 
and  under  circumstances  fitted  to  exhibit  his  char- 
acter in  ail  possible  attitudes,  and  in  the  clearest 
and  strongest  points  of  view. 


STATE  OF  THE  COXGKEGATIOXAL  CHURCHES  AND  MINISTRY,  IN  BOSTON 
AND  THE  VICINITY,  AT  THE  COMMENCEMENT  OF  THE  NINETEENTH 
CENTURY. 

I  should  now  proceed  to  exhibit  the  traits  of 
character  and  characteristics  of  mind,  which  these 
opportunities  of  intercourse  enabled  me  to  discover 
in  my  deceased  and  lamented  friend;  —  but  the 
fact,  that  so  many  of  these  characteristics  were 
developed,  and  so  many  of  these  traits  formed  or 
matured  by  the  trials  through  which  he  was  called 
to  pass,  during  the  first  three  years  of  his  minis- 
try, and  especially  during  the  time  of  the  session 
of  that  great  and  long  protracted  ecclesiastical 
council,  held  at  Dorchester,  in  October  and  No- 
vember, of  1811,  seems  to  require  of  me  a  brief 
statement  of  my  recollections,  of  the  scenes  and 
circumstances  connected  with  those  trials,  and  of 
the  proceedings  and    results   of  that   council.     Of 


REMINISCENCES    OF    DR.    CODMAN.  173 

the  twelve  ministers,  who  constituted  the  clerical 
part  of  the  council,  no  one  now  survives  ;  and  the 
same,  as  far  as  mj  knowledge  extends,  may  be 
said  of  the  delegates  who  sat  and  acted  in  council 
with  their  respective  pastors,  with  the  exception 
of  John  Punchard,  Esq.,  of  Salem,  now  in  the 
ninetieth  jear  of  his  age.  Of  the  four  advocates 
of  the  parties  before  the  council,  I  only  remain  to 
tell  the  story,  and  to  speak,  as  a  living  witness, 
of  the  character  and  conduct  of  Mr.  Codman,  while 
under  the  pressure  of  such  crushing  cares  and  over- 
whelming responsibilities  as  he,  then  a  young  man, 
was  called  to  endure. 

Nor  can  I  render  the  narrative  of  these  facts  and 
proceedings  intelligible,  without  briefly  adverting  to 
the  state  of  the  Congregational  churches  and  the 
character  of  the  Congregational  ministry,  at  that 
period,  in  Boston  and  the  vicinity.  Such  a  refer- 
ence seems  to  be  absolutely  necessary,  to  a  correct 
understanding  of  the  Dorchester  controversy,  since 
the  whole  difficulty,  involved  in  that  controversy, 
grew  out  of  the  peculiar  condition  of  the  churches 
and  the  ministry  in  that  region, — a  condition  which 
imposed  on  Mr.  Codman,  as  he  believed,  the  duty 
of  pursuing  the  course  which  he  adopted,  and  which 
involved  him  in  severe  trials,  and  resulted  in  effects 


174  REMINISCENCES    OF    DR.    CODMAN. 

of  momentous  consequence  to  the  cause  of  evan- 
"jelical  relioion. 

Originally,  the  Congregational  churches  in  and 
about  Boston,  and  indeed  every  where  in  New 
England,  were  strictly  Puritan — Puritan  in  doctrine 
and  Puritan  in  practice.  Like  the  Puritans  whom 
they  left  behind  them  in  England,  when  they  came 
to  this  country,  they  professed  their  faith  in  the 
plenary  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  re- 
ceived them  as  their  rule  of  faith,  and  their  guide 
in  life.  Of  course,  they  observed  the  same  rules 
of  organization,  and  forms  of  worship,  on  both 
sides  of  the  Atlantic,  and  agreed  substantially  in 
the  same  articles  of  faith.  As  far  as  Congrega- 
tionalism admits  of  any  authoritative  standard,  as 
an  explanation  and  summary  formula  of  Scripture 
doctrines  and  duties,  they  adopted  the  same  stand- 
ard. In  the  year  1648,  the  elders  and  messengers 
of  the  Congregational  churches  of  Massachusetts 
assembled  at  Cambridge,  and  sanctioned  the  West- 
minster Assembly's  Shorter  Catechism,  as  in  their 
view  a  correct  summary  of  the  doctrines  and  duties 
of  Christianity.  This  summary,  which  had  been 
adopted  by  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Presby- 
terian church  of  Scotland  in  1647,  subsequently 
by  the  Puritans  of  England  and  those  of  Connec- 


REMINISCENCES   OF  DR.   CODMAN.  175 

ticut  at  Sajbrook,  and  more  recently  by  the  sev- 
eral branches  of  the  Presbyterian  church  in  the 
United  States,  as  an  authoritative  standard  of  faith, 
became  such  therefore,  as  far  as  united  action  could 
render  it  so,  to  the  Congregational  churches  of 
New  England.  For  it  was  unanimously  sanctioned, 
not  only  by  the  Synod  of  1648,  at  Cambridge, 
but  afterward,  by  an  authority  of  equal  weight,  at 
Boston  itself,  in  1680. 

Although,  therefore,  the  principles  of  union  among 
the  Congregational  churches  are  truly  republican, 
leaving  every  church  free  and  independent  in  form- 
ing its  own  articles  of  association  ;  bound  by  no 
authority  but  that  of  Christ,  and  no  book  of  disci- 
pline but  the  Bible  ;  yet,  for  a  long  time,  all  the 
Congregational  churches  in  the  region  of  Boston, 
as  well  as  all  the  churches  which  assumed  that 
name,  in  all  parts  of  New  England,  acknowledged 
the  advisory  rules  and  sanctioned  the  ecclesiastical 
decisions  of  the  Synod  of  1648,  at  Cambridge,  or 
of  that  subsequently  held  at  Saybrook.  For  they 
continued,  everywhere,  to  use  the  Assembly's  Shor- 
ter Catechism  as  their  approved  symbol  of  faith  and 
bond  of  union  ;  to  teach  it  to  their  children,  and 
to  select  their  ministers  according  to  its  true  spirit ; 
choosing  such,  and  such  only,  for  their  pastors  and 


176  REMINISCENCES   OF  DR.   CODMAN. 

teachers,  as  thej  believed  would  preach,  substan- 
tially, in  accordance  with  its  teachings. 

But,  in  process  of  time,  a  departure  from  the 
faith  and  practice  of  *  the  fathers '  took  place, — 
gradually,  indeed,  and  sometimes  covertly,  but 
really  and  substantially  affecting  the  character  of  the 
churches  and  the  ministry, — so  that,  at  the  close 
of  the  eighteenth  and  the  commencement  of  the 
nineteenth  century,  it  came  to  pass  that  the  churches 
of  Boston  and  the  vicinity,  and  of  some  other  parts 
of  New  England,  were  essentially  different  from 
what  they  had  been  in  the  time  of  the  Cottons, 
and  Wilsons,  and  Nortons,  and  Mathers,  of  olden 
time.  They  had  come  to  be  churches  of  a  mixed 
character,  both  in  faith  and  practice ;  and  their 
pastors,  instead  of  being  united  in  sentiment  as 
formerly,  were  men  of  discordant  views,  differing 
from  each  other  by  every  variety  of  opinion  which 
the  records  of  faith  and  error  can  furnish. 

The  process  by  which  this  declension  from  the 
faith  of  '  the  fathers '  came  over  these  Congrega- 
tional churchesj  and  the  causes  which  conspired  to 
produce  it,  I  need  not  attempt  to  specify.  The 
low  state  of  vital  and  practical  religion  through  the 
whole  country,  with  the  prevalence  of  error  and 
infidelity  in  the  community  at  large,  seems,  indeed, 


REMINISCENCES    OF   DR.   CODMAN.  177 

to  have  been  the  immediate  and  prominent  cause 
of  this  departure  from  the  primitive  Puritan  faith 
in  the  churches.  A  pure  church  could  not  live  and 
breathe,  and  maintain  its  soundness  of  faith  and 
healthful  vigor,  in  an  atmosphere  so  impure. 

Nor  need  I  speak  of  the  more  remote  causes  of 
declension  in  the  faith  and  soundness  of  these 
churches  ;  those  causes  which  produced  this  imme- 
diate cause,  or  nearest  antecedent,  of  church  cor- 
ruption. Some  of  them  might  be  found  in  the 
infidel  philosophy  which  led  to  the  French  revolu- 
tion of  1790,  and  which  found  its  way  across  the 
Atlantic  in  the  writings  of  Voltaire  for  the  learned, 
and  Paine  for  the  illiterate  ;  and,  through  the  me- 
dium of  political  sympathy,  obtained  a  lodgment 
in  the  American  mind.  Some  of  them  might  be 
discovered  in  the  perverting  and  degrading  influ- 
ence of  the  sensuous  philosophy  and  gross  material- 
ism diffused  through  the  writings  of  Dr.  Priestley, 
and  other  speculative  writers  of  that  period,  who 
claimed  the  Christian  name,  and  yet  denied  the 
plenary  inspiration  and  infallible  authority  of  the 
Christian  Scriptures.  And  some  of  them  might, 
unquestionably,  be  traced  back  to  the  influence  of 
the  war  of  the  American  revolution  on  the  princi- 
ples and  habits  of  American  society,  and,  of  course, 

23 


178  REMINISCENCES   OF   DR.   CODMAN. 

by    sympathy    and    necessary   intercourse,    on    the 
church  itself. 

But  whatever  may  have  been  the  causes,  imme- 
diate or  remote,  the  state  of  religion  at  that  period 
was  exceedingly  low  in  all  the  northern  portions 
of  our  country  ;  and  especially  in  that  portion  of 
it,  concerning  which  I  am  now  writing.  The 
Congregational  churches  in  the  vicinity  of  Boston 
were  feeble,  and  their  members  few  in  number. 
Few  came  to  the  solemn  feasts  of  Christianity; 
and  what  rendered  the  case  worse  was,  that  those 
few  were  of  a  mixed  character,  and  of  various  and 
heterogeneous  sentiments  ;  destroying  the  power  of 
Christian  discipline  and  diminishing  the  salutary 
influence  of  Christian  example.  In  some  cases, 
persons  were  admitted  to  church-fellowship  without 
any  examination  ;  and  in  many  of  the  churches 
there  was  scarcely  any  formula  of  union,  or  barrier 
against  the  intrusion  of  the  thoughtless  and  im- 
penitent into  '  the  holy  of  holies,'  in  the  Christian 
sanctuary.  The  consequence  was,  that  men  of 
loose  opinions  and  doubtful  characters,  whenever 
they  chose,  from  any  worldly  consideration,  to 
make  the  application,  could  find  a  ready  admit- 
tance to  some  acknowledged  Congregational  church. 
Hence  persons  of  all  grades  of  sentiment,  from  the 


REMINISCENCES   OF   DR.   CODMAN.  179 

highest  point  of  ultra-Calvinism  to  the  lowest  point 
of  Arminianism, — men  who  adhered  to  the  Puritan 
faith  and  rigid  practice  of  the  fathers  of  New 
England,  and  men  who  scarcely  acknowledged 
the  Christian  Sabbath  as  a  day  of  holy  rest,  or 
prayer  as  an  essential  Christian  duty, — men  who 
walked  circumspectly  in  the  midst  of  a  perverse 
generation,  and  men  who  mingled  with  an  un- 
believing world  in  all  their  vain  amusements  and 
follies, — men  of  habitual  seriousness,  who  daily 
sought  the  grace  of  God  as  their  hope  of  salvation, 
and  men  who  despised  and  even  ridiculed  this 
seriousness  and  reliance  on  the  grace  of  God, 
were  sometimes  found  in  the  same  church ;  and 
notwithstanding  their  diversity  of  sentiment  and 
character,  meeting  together  at  the  same  consecrated 
table  of  the  Lord. 

This  was  the  state  of  the  Congregational  churches, 
with  few  exceptions,  at  this  period,  through  all  the 
region  (and  in  some  cases  beyond  that  region) 
which  embraced  the  churches  connected  with  the 
Boston  Association  of  Congregational  ministers. 
And  the  state  of  the  ministry  itself  was  not  much 
better.  The  Scripture  adage  might  with  great 
propriety  be  applied  to  the  case  :  "  Like  people, 
like  priests."      For,  before    the    separation,    which 


180  REMINISCENCES   OF   DE.   CODMAN. 

took  place  soon  after  the  ecclesiastical  council  in 
Dorchester,  that  Association  embraced  all  the 
ministers  who  chose  to  call  themselves  Conp'ega- 
tionalists,  in  Boston  and  most  of  the  adjacent 
towns.  Hence  this  numerous  body,  like  the 
churches  with  which  they  were  connected,  con- 
sisted of  men  of  various  theological  views,  from 
the  most  rigid  followers  of  Calvin  to  the  lowest 
grade  of  Socinians. 

In  this  state  of  things,  it  was  difficult  to  conduct 
ecclesiastical  business,  and  regulate  ministerial  ex- 
changes, not  only  within  the  limits  of  the  Boston 
Association,  but  in  all  the  surrounding  region. 
No  ecclesiastical  council,  called  even  for  the  simple 
purpose  of  ordination,  could  act  harmoniously  and 
with  satisfaction  to  all  parties.  The  different 
views  of  the  members  frequently  caused  jealousies, 
discussions,  unpleasant  delays,  and  great  dissatis- 
faction. Some  desired  no  examination  of  the 
candidate,  as  to  sentiment  and  experience,  but  his 
own  voluntary  statement.  Some  were  unwilling  to 
go,  or  suffer  others  to  go,  in  their  inquiries,  beyond 
certificates  of  moral  character  and  church-fellowship. 
It  was  even  contended  by  some,  that  when  a  coun- 
cil was  called  to  introduce  a  man  into  the  ministry 
^nd  ordain  him  as  a  pastor  and  teacher,  their  whole 


REMINISCENCES   OF  DR.   CODMAN.  181 

business  was  to  ascertain  whether  he  had  been  so 
called  to  the  work,  and  had  so  answered  the  call,  as 
to  lay  the  foundation  of  an  ecclesiastical  relation  and 
a  legal  contract ;  and  then  to  sanction  the  relation 
and  confirm  the  contract.  The  consequence  was, 
that  those  ministers  who  heeded  the  apostolic  direc- 
tion, "to  lay  hands  suddenly  on  no  man,"  were 
sometimes  not  permitted  to  make  the  requisite  in- 
quiries to  satisfy  their  minds  whether  the  candidate 
did  or  did  not  possess  the  required  qualifications  for 
a  Christian  bishop.  Hence  divisions  sometimes 
ensued  ;  at  least,  great  delay  was  occasioned,  and 
often  great  offence  given. 

But  this  difficulty,  great  as  it  was,  did  not  con- 
stitute the  greatest  trial  growing  out  of  the  diver- 
sity of  sentiment  which  then  prevailed  in  the  Con- 
gregational churches,  and  among  Congregational 
ministers.  The  regulation  of  ministerial  exchanges, 
consistently  with  a  good  conscience,  and  the  pres- 
ervation of  peace  in  the  parishes  and  good-will 
among  their  pastors,  was  far  more  difficult.  It  was, 
indeed,  almost  impossible  for  a  minister,  who  enter- 
tained the  sentiments  of  the  Puritans,  to  maintain 
expected  ministerial  intercourse,  and  especially  to 
regulate  his  exchanges,  without  either  violating 
the  rules  of  courtesy,  or  acting  inconsistently  with 


182  REMINISCENCES    OF   DR.   CODMAN. 

the  plainest  dictates  of  duty.  Under  existing  cir- 
cumstances, however,  ministers  of  these  sentiments 
felt  themselves  obliged  to  meet  this  difficulty,  and 
by  various  devices  attempt  to  overcome  it.  They 
professed,  or  at  least  were  expected,  to  exchange 
with  all  neighboring  ministers,  promiscuously,  with- 
out regard  to  their  known  sentiments,  or  manner  of 
preaching.  To  counteract  the  evil  effects  of  such 
exchanges  among  their  own  people,  they  sometimes 
publicly  controverted  the  doctrines  which,  as  they 
learned,  had  been  preached  in  their  pulpits  ;  and  in 
some  extreme  cases,  where  their  own  sentiments 
had  been  controverted  and  even  caricatured,  they 
exerted  all  their  ingenuity  to  avoid  another  ex- 
change, and  thus  to  prevent  a  repetition  of  the 
injury.  But  I  believe,  and  indeed  had  occasion  to 
know,  that  this  was  a  subject  of  great  trial ;  and  to 
feel  that  it  involved  an  inconsistency  of  profession 
and  practice,  often  requiring  a  refusal  to  exchange, 
where  the  true  reason  could  not  be  honestly  and 
frankly  given,  without  violating  the  courtesies  of 
social  life,  and  even  seeming  to  assume  dictatorial 
authority. 

By  many,  therefore,  it  was  thought  desirable  that 
an  ecclesiastical  separation  should  take  place  ;  so 
that  those  who  held  to  the  doctrines  of  the  Puritans, 


REMINISCENCES   OF   DR.   CODMAN.  183 

and  those  who  had  widely  departed  from  their  faith, 
should  no  longer  be  included  under  the  same  de- 
nomination ;  or,  at  least,  that  the  custom  of  inter- 
changing pulpit  services  by  those  ministers,  whose 
religious  views  were  irreconcilable  with  unity  of 
action,  and  whose  preaching,  of  course,  was  calcu- 
lated to  counteract  each  other's  labors,  should  be 
discontinued.  Most  of  the  decidedly  evangelical 
ministers,  not  only  in  the  region  of  Boston,  but 
throughout  New  England,  were  evidently  desirous 
of  the  separation,  and  ready  to  embrace  the  first 
opportunity,  which  should  fairly  present  itself,  of 
making  the  attempt  and  thus  getting  rid  of  the 
oppressive  and  perplexing  custom  of  promiscuous 
exchanges. 


OKIGIN    AND    CAUSES   Or    THE  OPPOSITIOX  TO  ME.  CODMAN,  BY   A   PAET 
OF  HIS   PARISH. 

When  Mr.  Codman  returned  from  Europe,  pre- 
pared to  enter  on  the  work  of  the  ministry,  he 
found  the  state  of  the  Congregational  churches,  and 
the  relation  of  their  ministers,  as  described  above  ; 
and  he  seems  early  to  have  formed  the  resolution 
of  keeping  himself  free  from  the  entanglement  and 


184  REMINISCENCES   OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

perplexity  of  promiscuous  exchanges.  Accordingly 
he  intimated  his  intention,  in  the  most  delicate 
manner,  to  some  of  his  confidential  friends.  He 
did  not  mean,  he  said,  to  denounce  or  condemn 
others  ;  but  feeling  his  obligation  to  preach  to  the 
people  of  his  charge  what  seemed  to  him  to  be 
the  true  gospel,  he  could  not  be  instrumental  of 
introducing  into  his  pulpit  any  one  who  seemed 
to  him  to  preach  what  an  Apostle  had  denominated 
*  another  gospel.' 

When  called,  therefore,  to  settle  in  Dorchester, 
he  acted  consistently  with  these  views,  and  with 
reference  to  this  fixed  determination.  He  did  not, 
it  is  true,  publicly  and  in  a  formal  manner  declare 
his  purpose  of  limiting  his  circle  of  exchanges ; 
because  he  thought  such  a  declaration  would  be 
presumptuous  and  offensive.  Nor  did  he  lay  down 
any  precise  rules  for  the  regulation  of  exchanges 
even  for  himself;  because  he  thought  it  most  safe 
and  convenient  to  apply  the  general  principle  only 
so  far  as  called  for,  and  as  particular  practical  cases 
should  arise.  Any  other  course,  he  thought,  would 
be  denunciatory.  Besides,  he  viewed  the  regulation 
of  exchanges  as  a  matter  of  personal  convenience, 
to  be  controlled  by  the  judgment  of  every  minister 
for  himself — a  right  for  the   exercise  of  which  he 


REMINISCENCES   OF    DR.    CODMAN.  185 

alone  is  responsible  to  his  own  Master.  But  he 
did  adopt  means,  in  the  fullest  and  most  explicit 
manner,  to  acquaint  the  church  and  society  in 
Dorchester  with  his  religious  sentiments ;  and  thus 
gave  them  an  opportunity  to  reconsider  their  vote 
of  invitation.  So  frank  was  he  on  this  subject,  and 
so  desirous  of  guarding  against  all  misapprehension, 
as  to  request  them  to  act  again  on  the  subject  of 
the  call,  with  his  explicit  communication  before 
them.  This  he  did,  because  it  was  understood  that 
persons  of  different  religious  sentiments  belonged 
to  the  parish ;  and  this,  he  thought,  was  all  he 
could  do,  to  guard  against  future  difficulty. 

But  notwithstanding  this  explicit  and  frank 
communication,  the  call  was  renewed,  and  the 
included  request,  to  substitute  Watts's  Hymns  for 
those  of  Belknap,  complied  with.  He  felt  himself, 
therefore,  authorized  to  accept  their  invitation ;  and 
did  accordingly  accept  it,  in  the  hope  that,  with  the 
blessing  of  Heaven,  he  should  be  permitted  in  peace 
to  preach  the  gospel  of  peace,  and  carry  out  his 
own  principles,  in  the  exercise  of  his  acknowledged 
right,  according  to  the  Congregational  Platform. 
In  this,  however,  he  was  disappointed.  Complaints, 
in  a  very  few  weeks  after  his  ordination,  began  to 
be  made  against  him ;  and  within  a  year  an  organ- 

S4 


186  REMINISCENCES   OF    DR.   CODMAN. 

ized  opposition  was  formed,  apparently  determined 
to  drive  him  from  from  his  position.  Of  course, 
every  kind  of  effort  was  made,  by  a  few  active  and 
influential  leaders,  to  increase  the  number  of  the 
disaffected,  till  a  majority  of  legal,  or  apparently 
legal,  voters  in  the  parish  was  obtained.  Then 
commenced  a  course  of  measures  of  annoyance, 
which  finally  ended  in  the  defeat  of  the  plan  of  the 
opposition,  and  the  triumph  of  the  cause  and  prin- 
ciples which  Mr.  Codman  had  so  boldly  espoused 
and  so  firmly  and  perseveringly  defended. 

The  exciting  cause  of  this  opposition  seems  not 
to  have  been  well  understood,  especially  at  a  dis- 
tance from  the  scene  of  action.  The  subject  of 
exchanges  was,  in  my  apprehension,  merely  inci- 
dental and  subservient  to  the  true  cause.  It  was, 
however,  an  incident  of  great  moment  in  its  con- 
sequences ;  and  it  led  to  the  establishment  of  a 
principle  of  great  practical  utility  in  the  Congrega- 
tional churches,  throughout  the  Commonwealth  of 
Massachusetts,  and  even  in  other  portions  of  the 
country,  where  this  form  of  ecclesiastical  organiza- 
tion exists.  It  was  made,  at  last,  by  the  continual 
pressure  of  an  influence  beyond  the  limits  of  the 
parish,  the  ostensible  ground  of  the  whole  opposition, 
and   thus  led  to  a  discussion  and  final  decision  of 


REMINISCENCES    OF    DR.    CODMAN.  187 

the  question  of  ministerial  rights  and  duties,  in 
regulating  pulpit  exchanges — a  decision  which  has 
relieved  the  subject  from  embarrassment,  we  hope, 
forever  ;  and  produced  a  line  of  separation  between 
men  of  discordant  and  incongruous  views,  clearly 
marked  and  easily  followed.  And  although  some 
inconvenience  has  arisen  from  the  separation,  in 
occasionally  dividing  and  weakening  small  societies, 
the  general  effect  has  been  happy ;  giving  peace, 
where  there  had  been  nothing  but  contention  ; 
and  leaving  those  who  could  not  agree  to  act  and 
worship  together,  to  agree  to  differ — to  separate 
and  act  according  to  their  respective  views  and 
wishes. 

But,  as  intimated,  the  cause  of  the  opposition  to 
Mr.  Codman  was,  originally,  very  far  from  this 
subject  of  exchanges,  as  those  who  were  near 
enough  to  see  its  rise  and  observe  its  progress  well 
knew.  To  us  it  was  perfectly  evident  that  the 
pungent  preaching,  the  full  and  clear  exhibition 
of  the  humbling  doctrines  of  the  gospel,  with  the 
practical  bearing  always  given  to  them,  and  the 
application  of  them  to  the  hearts  and  consciences 
of  the  hearers,  was  the  first  great  moving  cause 
of  the  opposition.  It  was  manifest  that  this  was 
the    exciting   cause,    because    the    first    complaints 


188  KEMINISCENCES    OF    DR.   CODMAN. 

made  against  Mr.  Codman  were  confined  to  this 
subject.  These  complaints,  whether  made  directly 
to  him  or  to  others  about  him,  all  had  reference  to 
his  preaching  ;  and  especially  to  its  directness  and 
forcible  applications.  I  add  this  last  phrase,  be- 
cause I  had  opportunity  to  learn  that  this  was  the 
real  ground  of  offence.  Indeed,  men  will  gener- 
ally bear  the  abstract  truth,  if  you  present  it  as  a 
mere  abstraction,  without  any  direct  application  of 
it  to  them;  if  you  suffer  their  consciences  to  re- 
main quiet  and  undisturbed,  while  they  neglect  its 
requirements.  But  Mr.  Codman's  preaching  was 
peculiarly  pungent,  and  his  applications  generally 
direct ;  and  what  rendered  his  preaching  more 
offensive,  at  that  time  and  in  that  region,  was,  that 
his  practice  was  consistent  with  it,  and  therefore 
full  of  rebuke  and  admonition. 

An  incident  occurred  on  the  very  evening  of  his 
ordination,  which  intimated  to  him  what  he  might 
expect  from  a  portion  of  his  parishioners.  They 
planned  what  they  denominated  an  ordination  ball, 
and  towards  evening  they  sent  him  a  formal  note, 
couched  indeed  in  polite  terms,  inviting  him  to 
attend  and  participate  in  the  'innocent  amusement.' 
His  answer,  of  course,  was  prompt  and  decisive  ; 
and  though  it  was  intended  to  be  civil  and  kind, 


REMINISCENCES   OF   DR.   CODMAN.  189 

it  gave  great  offence.  This  little  incident,  as  he 
stated  to  me,  exceedingly  tried  his  feelings,  and 
filled  him  with  fearful  apprehensions  of  a  coming 
difficulty.  For  myself,  I  never  entertained  a  doubt 
that  the  invitation  was  designed  to  try  and  perplex 
him,  and  that  it  constituted  the  first  link  in  the 
chain  of  measures  which  was  ultimately  thrown 
around  him,  involving  him  in  great  trials, — a  chain 
which  could  have  been  broken  only  by  the  hand  of 
a  giant. 

That  portion  of  his  parish  who  commenced  the 
opposition  were  a  gay  people,  exceedingly  fond  of 
amusements  ;  and  there  can  be  no  doubt,  that  they 
determined  to  oppose  everything  which  interfered 
with  their  favorite  indulgences.  Hence  their  oppo- 
sition to  week-day  meetings  and  extra-lectures,  of 
which  they  early  complained,  and  on  account  of 
which  they  finally  presented,  to  an  ecclesiastical 
council,  a  formal  charge.  Hence,  too,  they  began 
early  to  complain  of  his  preaching  so  much  on 
human  depravity,  the  guilt  and  consequences  of  sin, 
the  doctrine  of  the  atonement,  and  the  necessity 
of  fiuth,  repentance  and  regeneration.  Indeed,  as 
he  stated  to  me  at  the  time,  one  of  the  first  visits 
of  expostulation  which  he  received  from  a  com- 
plaining parishioner,  related  to  his  preaching  on  the 


190  REMINISCENCES   OF    DR.   CODMAN. 

experimental  subject  of  humiliation  before  God,  in 
view  of  the  entire  depravity  of  the  unrenewed 
heart,  and  the  consequent  self-condemnation  of  the 
sinner,  when  his  depravity  and  guilt  are  discovered 
by  an  enlightened  understanding,  and  felt  by  an 
awakened  conscience.  The  discourse  complained 
of  was  founded  on  these  words,  ascribed  to  Job : 
"  But  now  mine  eye  seeth  thee  ;  wherefore  I  abhor 
myself,  and  repent  in  dust  and  ashes."  The  com- 
plaint was  heard  with  patience,  and  I  doubt  not 
answered  with  meekness.  But  when  the  com- 
plainant was  shown  that  his  objection  applied 
more  directly  against  the  text  itself,  than  against 
anything  said  in  the  course  of  the  illustration  or 
application,  the  explanation  gave  no  satisfaction, 
but  seemed  rather  to  aggravate  the  spirit  of  com- 
plaint and  strengthen  the  feeling  of  opposition. 

These  causes,  therefore, — the  subjects  of  his 
preaching,  the  manner  of  his  preaching,  the  fre- 
quency and  urgent  application  of  his  preaching, 
rather  than  the  fact  that  he  neglected  to  exchange 
w^ith  some  of  the  Boston  ministers, — were  most 
evidently  the  original  causes  and  lay  at  the  foun- 
dation of  the  opposition.  The  course  which  he 
adopted  in  regulating  his  pulpit-exchanges,  as  a 
plausible   ground  of  complaint,  seems  to  have  been 


EEMINISCENCES    OF    DE.    CODMAN.  191 

with  his  opposers  an  after-thought,  probably  sug- 
gested from  without.  But  however  originated,  it 
was  subsequently  made  the  principal  subject  of 
complaint ;  and  became,  as  incidentally  admitted, 
in  the  course  of  correspondence,  by  the  committee 
of  the  opposition,  the  ostensible  reason  for  wishing 
and  vehemently  urging  a  dissolution  of  his  pastoral 
relation  to  the  people  of  his  charge. 

But  whatever  may  have  been  the  cause,  or  the 
concurrent  causes,  which  led  to  the  opposition, 
it  was  to  him  an  occasion  of  severe  and  long- 
protracted  trials ;  —  trials,  however,  which  were 
sanctified  to  him,  and  which  resulted  in  the 
establishment  of  the  principles  for  which  he  con- 
tended, and,  as  he  had  the  satisfaction  of  believing, 
in  the  promotion  of  the  cause  to  which  he  had 
devoted  himself  and  all  his  energies — the  cause 
of  truth,  the  conversion  of  sinners,  the  elevation 
and  purity  of  the  church,  the  salvation  of  men 
and  the  glory  of  God. 


THE    PEOGKESS    OF    THE    OPPOSITION    AND    HISTORY    OF    THE    COXTRO- 
VEESY.— THE    CALLING    OF    THE    FIRST   ECCLESIASTICAL   COUNCIL. 

The  cause  or  combined  causes  of  the   opposition 
to   Mr.   Codman,    whatever   they    were,  and    with 


192  REMINISCENCES    OF   DR.   CODMAN. 

whatever  motives  they  moved  the  actors  in  this 
drama,  began  to  operate,  as  we  have  seen,  and 
to  show  their  disturbing  power,  soon  after  his 
ordination.  The  first  complaint  which  w^as  heard 
m  the  vicinity  of  Dorchester,  like  that  first  made  to 
him  personally,  was  against  his  doctrinal  preaching, 
with  his  earnest  manner  and  directness  of  personal 
application.  The  next  was  against  his  nmch 
preaching  and  his  multiplying  religious  meetings ; 
though  for  this  complaint  there  was  no  other 
foundation,  than  the  fact  that  he  gave  a  stated 
weekly-lecture  on  Tuesday,  and  held  an  occasional 
family-meeting,  or  prayer-meeting  and  conference, 
in  some  remote  part  of  the  parish.  Several  other 
complaints  of  a  similar  character, — all,  however, 
springing  from  the  same  source  and  intimately 
connected  with  these, — were  originated  and  spread 
abroad,  long  before  his  restricted  system  of  ex- 
changes was  made  the  rallying-point  of  opposition. 

The  first  step  in  legal  form,  for  the  purpose 
of  attempting  to  remove  Mr.  Codman  from  his 
ministerial  position,  which  it  had  become  evident 
the  opposition  were  determined,  if  possible,  to 
accomplish,  was  taken  on  the  nineteenth  of  April, 
1810,  when  a  parish  meeting  was  called  for  this 
purpose,    in    accordance     with    a    petition    of    the 


REMINISCENCES    OF    DR.   CODMAN.  193 

leaders.  But  it  appeared  that,  notwithstanding  the 
unwearied  efforts  of  the  malcontents  for  many 
months  to  gain  over  partisans,  they  had  not  yet 
strength  enough  to  effect  their  object ;  for  the  prop- 
osition involved  in  the  first  article  of  the  warrant, 
requiring  Mr.  Cod  man  to  exchange  promiscuously^ 
was  rejected  by  a  negative  vote  of  ffty-two  to 
thirty-four.  Another  article,  providing  for  the  re- 
substitution  of  Belknap's  for  Watts's  Psalms  and 
Hymns,  was  dismissed.  And  instead  of  prohibit- 
ing the  opening  of  the  meeting-house  for  lectures, 
as  was  proposed  by  another  article,  it  was  voted, 
''  that  the  meeting-house,  in  future,  as  it  respects 
its  use  for  lectures,  be  under  the  control  of  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Codman." 

But,  though  thus  completely  defeated,  the  oppo- 
sition did  not  relax  their  efforts.  They  soon  rallied, 
and  presented  themselves  in  a  new  attitude,  and 
commenced  a  new  mode  of  warfare.  In  August 
following,  there  appeared  (with  what  views  and  for 
what  purpose  none  could  doubt)  an  advertisement 
in  the  Columbian  Centinel  of  Boston,  offering  for 
sale  "  thirty-eight  pews  in  the  Rev.  Mr.  Codman's 
meeting-house,  and  three  horse-sheds.'^^  By  means 
like  this,  and  influences  from  without  and  within, 
the  opposition   was  at  length   increased,   so    as   to 

25 


194  REMINISCENCES  OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

raise,  in  the  minds  of  the  leaders,  the  hope  of 
obtaining  a  majority  in  a  parish  meeting.  And, 
strange  as  it  may  seem  to  some,  the  manoeuvres 
practiced  had  been  such  as  to  secure  that  object. 
For  at  a  parish  meeting  called  for  the  purpose, 
and  held  on  the  8th  of  October,  1810,  it  was 
voted,  that  "  the  Rev.  Mr.  Codman  be  requested 
to  exchange  with  the  ministers  who  compose  the 
Boston  Association " ;  and  a  committee  was  ap- 
pointed to  communicate  this  vote  to  Mr.  Codman, 
and  report  his  answer  at  an  adjourned  meeting. 
At  such  an  adjourned  meeting,  they  did  accordingly 
report  his  explicit  answer :  "  That  he  could  not 
pledge  himself  to  exchange  with  any  man  or  any 
body  of  men  whatever." 

At  this  meeting,  which  seems  to  have  been  a 
comparatively  small  one,  a  new  expedient  was 
adopted,  calculated  and  evidently  designed  to 
embarrass  and  perplex  Mr.  Codman,  and  if  pos- 
sible, by  increasing  his  already  multiplied  labors, 
to  drive  him  to  despair.  A  committee  was 
chosen  to  write  to  the  ministers  in  the  several 
towns,  with  whom  Mr.  Codman  had  been  in  the 
habit  of  exchanging,  requesting  them  not  to  preach 
in  his  pulpit  any  more,  till  the  difficulties  in  the 
parish   were    removed.      Accordingly    such    letters 


REMINISCENCES   OF   DR.   CODMAN.  195 

were  written  to  eight  clergymen  in  the  vicinity ; 
not  excepting  those  members  of  the  Boston 
Association  with  whom  he  had  exchanged,  and 
with  whom,  however  inconsistent  it  may  seem, 
he  had  just  been  requested  by  the  opposition  to 
exchange. 

In  this  stage  of  his  trials,  when  it  might  seem, 
from  the  comparatively  small  number  of  his  friends 
who  attended  and  voted  at  the  last  parish  meeting, 
that  they  were  discouraged  or  frightened,  and  that 
he  was  about  to  be  forsaken  by  them  and  left  to 
be  overwhelmed  by  the  growing  opposition,  he 
received  support  and  encouragement  in  a  way 
altogether  unexpected.  Two  addresses  were  pre- 
sented to  him,  about  the  same  time,  one  signed 
by  seventy-one  male  members  of  his  parish,  the 
other  by  one  hundred  and  seventy-nine  female 
members  ;  and  what  gave  peculiar  value  to  these 
addresses,  in  his  view,  was,  that  these  signers 
included  nearly  all  the  members  of  his  church. 
In  these  communications  his  friends,  both  male 
and  female,  entirely  approve  of  his  independent 
course,  strongly  commend  his  manner  of  preach- 
ing, bear  witness  to  his  fidelity  and  success  in 
the  ministry,  urge  him  not  to  forsake  them  in 
their   trials,    and    pledge    their    continued    support 


196  EEMINISCENCES  OF  DR.   CODMAN. 

and  their  united    prajers,  that    he    may    find    pro- 
tection under  the  blessing  of  Heaven. 

Though,  as  I  had  every  reason  to  believe,  he 
had  not  entertained  a  thought  of  yielding  his 
right  to  regulate  his  pulpit  exchanges,  or  of  giving 
up  his  efforts  for  the  cause  of  truth  and  what  he 
esteemed  the  essential  doctrines  of  the  gospel, 
yet  these  addresses,  coming  at  such  a  critical 
moment,  and  containing  such  pledges  of  affection 
and  assurances  of  continued  support,  did  unques- 
tionably afiibrd  him  consolation  and  encouragement 
under  his  heavy  trials  and  pressing  cares  and 
labors.  Nor  was  it  of  small  moment  to  him,  that 
he  had  the  sympathy  and  prayers  of  many  of  his 
brethren  in  the  ministry.  Especially,  as  he  de- 
clared to  me,  did  he  feel  himself  encouraged  and 
supported  by  the  firm  course  pursued  by  the  pro- 
scribed ministers  in  the  vicinity.  For  most  of 
them  expressly  refused  to  submit  to  the  dictation 
of  assumed  authority ;  and  two  of  them  w^rote 
letters,  giving  their  reasons  for  the  refusal,  with 
an  appropriate  rebuke. 

In  the  meantime,  however,  the  opposition  did 
not  in  the  least  abate  their  zeal,  diminish  their 
efforts,  or  fail  to  exert  their  ingenuity  in  con- 
triving new  expedients  of  annoyance,     Accordingly 


REMINISCENCES   OF   DR.   CODMAN.  197 

they  took  effectual  measures  to  prevent  several 
persons,  who  attended  on  the  ministry  of  Mr. 
Codman,  from  becoming  regular  members  and 
legal  voters  in  the  incorporated  society.  In  con- 
nection with  this  act  of  oppression,  there  appeared 
another  advertisement  in  two  public  newspapers 
in  Boston,  offering  for  sale  sixty-nine  pews,  with 
the  following  significant  and  offensive  words  ap- 
pended :  *'  Together  with  all  the  right,  title  and 
interest,  the  proprietors  of  the  above  pews  have 
in  the  Rev.  Mr.   Codman." 

It  would  seem  that,  at  this  period,  there  were 
some  apprehensions, — though  I  believe  without 
foundation, — that  Mr.  Codman  might  be  induced, 
by  these  continued  annoyances,  to  think  it  con- 
sistent with  duty  to  consult  his  own  peace — not  to 
say  safety — and  ask  a  dismission  from  his  parish  ; 
and  being  thus  *'  persecuted  in  one  city,  to  flee 
to  another."  For  on  the  22d  of  April,  1811, 
he  received  another  address  of  his  friends,  prin- 
cipally male  members  of  his  church, — an  address 
signed  by  Benjamin  Hitchborn,  Stephen  Badlam, 
James  Baker,  and  fifty-four  others,  —  expressing 
their  sympathy  with  him  in  his  trials,  and  declaring 
"  that  they  saw  nothing  to  justify  the  origin  or 
continuance  of  the  existing  evils."     They  express 


198  REMINISCENCES   OF   DR.   CODMAN. 

their  earnest  *' desire  of  seeing  the  unhappy  division 
healed."  But  they  add,  "  We  cannot  believe  your 
removal  from  us  w^ould  produce  this  effect ;  we 
hope,  therefore,  that  you  will  not  think  of  taking 
such  a  step."  To  this,  they  subjoin  the  following 
pledge  of  affection  and  support :  "  While  we  make 
our  fervent  supplications  to  Heaven  for  your  comfort 
and  direction  under  all  your  trials,  you  will  rest 
assured  of  our  esteem  and  affection,  and  of  our 
determination  to  support  you  as  our  pastor,  so 
long  as  you  continue  to  sustain  your  present 
character  as  a  minister  of  the  gospel,  and  give 
no  other  occasion  of  complaint  than  that  which 
is  alleged  against  you  by  those  who  now  wish 
to  dissolve  the  compact,  so  recently,  solemnly  and 
unanimously  made  between  you  and  the  people 
of  your  charge." 

The  opposition,  however,  nothing  daunted  by 
their  previous  discomfitures,  and  abating  nothing 
of  their  zeal  in  the  cause  which  they  had  espoused, 
called  another  parish  meeting,  on  the  24th  of  June, 
1811.  At  this  meeting,  the  business  seems  to  have 
proceeded  rapidly  and  without  debate.  For  Mr. 
Codman's  friends,  generally,  absented  themselves 
from  the  meeting,  or  forbore  to  take  any  active 
part   in   it ;    probably   having   resolved    to   act    by 


REMINISCENCES    OF   DR.   CODMAN.  199 

themselves,  as  they  subsequently  did,  in  supporting 
Mr.  Cod  man  in  whatever  legal  and  ecclesiastical 
course  he  should  choose  to  pursue.  A  committee, 
all  professed  and  determined  opposers  of  evangelical 
sentiment,  and  several  of  them  acknowledged  Uni- 
versalists,  was  chosen,  "  to  request  that  a  separation 
take  place  between  Mr.  Codman  and  the  society ; " 
*'  but  should  he  not  comply  with  the  request,  to 
propose  to  him  to  join  in  calling  a  mutual  ecclesi- 
asti  cal  council  ;  "  and  in  case  of  his  not  acceding 
to  either  of  the  above  propositions,  "  to  proceed 
immediately  to  the  choice  of  an  ex-parte  council." 

To  the  committee  who  communicated  these 
votes  of  the  parish,  Mr.  Codman  promptly  replied, 
that  while  he  lamented  the  divisions  in  the  parish, 
he  could  not  hope  to  see  them  healed  by  complying 
with  the  first  proposition.  But  he  declared  his 
readiness  (if  the  demand  should  be  insisted  on)  to 
unite  with  them  in  calling  a  mutual  council.  He, 
however,  expressed  a  wish  to  have  the  business  of 
making  the  preparatory  arrangements  conducted  in 
writing.  On  this  he  finally  insisted,  as  the  only 
method  of  guarding  against  misapprehension  and 
misrepresentation.  He  likewise  claimed  the  right 
of  having  all  the  complaints  and  charges,  which 
they  intended  to  lay   before  the  proposed  council. 


200  REMINISCENCES   OF   DR.   CODMAN. 

fully  and  definitely  furnished,  before  the  issuing 
of  the  letters  missive,  or  the  designation  of  the 
churches  to  be  invited  to  constitute  said  council. 
The  discussion  of  these  points,  and  especially  of 
the  latter,  consumed  many  months ;  and  the  cor- 
respondence was  conducted  with  much  diplomatic 
skill,  and,  on  Mr.  Codman's  part,  with  great 
courtesy,  kindness,  and  yet  firmness  of  purpose. 

The  church,  as  a  body,  resolved  to  take  no 
part  in  calling  this  proposed  council,  except  so 
far  as  to  agree  to  aid  their  pastor  by  their  sym- 
pathies and  their  prayers ;  and  finally,  if  necessary, 
to  appoint  an  advocate  to  appear  before  the  council, 
when  called,  and  vindicate  their  rights.  They  did, 
indeed,  as  in  duty  bound,  attend  to  the  complaints 
made  against  their  pastor  by  the  members  of  the 
opposition,  —  seven  in  number,  —  who  belonged  to 
their  body.  These  complaints  were  presented, 
examined,  and  finally  dismissed,  as  altogether 
unfounded  or  futile,  in  a  church  meeting  held 
September  18,  1811.  To  this  meeting, — or  rather 
to  a  committee  of  the  church,  who  reported  at 
this  meeting, — Mr.  Codman  presented  a  full  state- 
ment of  his  views  and  feelings  on  the  whole 
subject,  and  most  triumphantly  vindicated  himself 
against    all    the    charges    and    complaints    of    the 


REMINISCENCES   OF   DR.   CODMAN.  201 

aggrieved  brethren.  At  least,  the  committee  of 
the  church  so  considered  the  subject,  and  so  pre- 
sented it  in  their  report ;  and  the  church,  by 
adopting  the  report,  expressed  their  full  satisfaction 
with  the  course  which  their  pastor  had  pursued, 
and  with  the  justificatory  statement  which  he 
had  made.  Accordingly  they  declined  taking  any 
part  in  calling  a  council  to  examine  what  they 
viewed  as  unfounded  charges  and  unreasonable 
complaints. 

Mr.  Codman,  however,  felt  himself  compelled, 
lest  an  ex-parte  council  should  be  called,  to  unite 
with  the  committee  of  the  parish  and  the  com- 
plaining members  of  the  church  in  calling  a  mutual 
council,  as  soon  as  they  should  comply  with  the 
principal  condition  named  by  him,  and  furnish  him 
with  their  charges,  definitely  stated  and  properly 
tabled. 

At  length,  this  point  was  so  far  yielded  by  the 
committee,  as  to  furnish  all  the  articles  of  com- 
plaint which  they  could  then  make  out,  or  to  use 
their  own  expression,  "as  had  then  transpired." 
Accordingly,  a  council  was  agreed  upon,  to  consist 
of  the  usual  representatives,  a  pastor  and  delegate, 
from  each  of  twelve  churches  ;  six  to  be  nominated 
by  the  committee,  and  six  by  Mr.  Codman, 

25 


202 


REMINISCENCES    OF   DR.   CODMAN. 


PROCEEDINGS    AND    RESULT    OF    THE    FIRST    COUNCIL,    WITH    REMARKS 
ON   THE   CHARACTER   OF   THE   MEMBERS. 

The  representatives  of  the  churches  designated, 
as  stated  above,  met  at  Dorchester  according  to 
invitation  bj  letters  missive,  on  Tuesday,  October 
30,  1811;  consisting  of  the  follovi^ing  pastors  and 
delegates,  viz  : 

From  the  church  (  Rev.  Thomas  Prentiss,  D.  D. 
in  Medfield,      (  Artemas  Woodward,  Delegate. 


Hatfield, 


i  Rev.  Joseph  Lyman,  D.  D. 
(  Isaac  Maltby,  Delegate. 


_  _  (  Rev.  John  Reed,  D.  D. 

Bndgewater,    .  .  |  g^^^^^^  j^^^^^^^  Delegate. 

i  Rev.  Richard  R.  Eliot. 
Watertown,  .   .  .  |  j^^^  Moses  Coolidge,  Delegate. 


f  Rev.  William  Greenouoh. 
\  Dea.  Joseph  Adams,  Delegate. 


Newton, . 
Dedham, 
Worcester, 
Weston,  . 
Worcester, 

Charlestown,    •  •  ]  j 

(  Rev.  Nathaniel  Thayer. 
Lancaster, .  .  .  .  |  Ebenezer  Torry,  Delegate. 

(  Rev.  SAaiuEL  Worcester,  D.  D. 
galem, .,.,..  |  Jqhn  Punchard,  Delegate. 


(  Rev.  Thomas  Thacher. 

•  '  \  Dea.  John  Richards,  Delegate. 

(  Rev.  Aaron  Bancroft,  D.  D. 

•  •  (  Joseph  Allen,  Delegate. 

i  Rev.  Samuel  Kendall,  D.  D. 

•  •  (  Nathan  Hagar,  Delegate. 

i  Rev.  Samuel  Austin,  D.  D. 

•  •  (  Moses  N.  Child,  Delegate. 

Rev.  Jedidiah  Morse,  D.  D. 
EREMiAH  EvARTs,  Delegate. 


REMINISCENCES    OF   DR.   CODMAN.         203 

The  council  was  organized  by  choosing  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Prentiss,  moderator,  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Thayer 
and  the  Rev.  Dr.  Worcester,  scribes. 

After  prayer  by  the  moderator,  the  parties  were 
admitted  by  vote  to  appear  before  the  council  and 
make  their  communications.  By  request,  the  follow- 
ing gentlemen  were  allowed  to  appear  as  advocates, 
viz :  for  the  complainants,  Benjamin  Parsons,  Esq. 
and  the  Hon.  Samuel  Dexter ;  for  the  church, 
though  not  directly  a  party  in  the  contest,  yet 
as  having  interests  at  stake  in  the  issue,  Daniel 
Davis,  Esq.,  Solicitor-General  of  the  Common- 
wealth of  Massachusetts ;  and  for  Mr.  Codman, 
as  his  friend  and  adviser,  the  Rev.  Joshua  Bates, 
of  Dedham. 

The  business  before  the  council  was  introduced 
by  a  speech  of  Mr.  Parsons,  the  junior  advocate  for 
the  parish,  who  presented  the  following  proposition 
for  the  decision  of  the  council,  with  the  articles 
of  charge  and  complaint  of  the  parish  committee, 
as  they  had  been  furnished  to  Mr.  Codman,  viz  : 

"  Whether,  under  existing  circumstances,  it  is 
not  expedient  that  your  pastoral  relation  to  this 
society  should   be  dissolved  : 

''  1st.  Because  of  the  great  disappointment  that  a 


204  REMINISCENCES   OF  DR.   CODMAN. 

respectable  number  of  your  church  and  a  majority 
of  your  society  have  experienced,  at  your  not 
exchanging  ministerial  labors  with  the  Rev.  clergy 
composing  the  Boston  Association,  generally  ;  more 
especially  those  that  were  present  and  performed  at 
the  dedication  of  the  meeting-house,  and  at  the 
organization  of  the  church,  and  those  that  were 
particularly  concerned  and  assisted  in  your  ordina- 
tion ;  which  the  parish  had  every  reason  to  expect, 
from  your  intimations,  both  antecedent  and  subse- 
quent to  your  settlement. 

"  2d.  Because,  though  we  would  not  deny  to  a 
minister  all  discretion  in  the  choice  of  those  with 
w^hom  he  changes  pulpits,  yet  you  have,  in  our 
opinion,  gone  in  this  respect  to  such  an  improper 
and  unwarrantable  extreme,  as  in  effect  to  make 
us  a  separate  religious  society  ;  cutting  us  off  from 
that  intercourse  with  the  greater  part  of  those 
Christian  societies  (and  of  our  own  denomination) 
with  which  we  have  been  on  terms  of  friendship 
and  communion. 

"  3d.  Because  we  conceive  that  the  lectures  and 
religious  meetings  which  you  appoint,  or  encourage, 
are  so  frequent,  and  held  at  such  times  and  places, 
as  that  they  tend  rather  to  disorder  and  the  inter- 
ruption of  domestic  union,  comfort  and  duties,  than 


REMINISCENCES   OF  DR.   CODMAN.  205 

to  the  promotion  of  the  social  virtues  and  genuine 
religion. 

"4th.  Because  of  your  unfeeling  and  unnatural 
conduct,  to  prevent  the  neighbors  and  friends  of 
Mr.  Thomas  Crehore  from  attending  the  funeral 
of  his  son,  by  urging  several  of  them  personally 
to  attend  your  lecture,  and  requesting  them  to  call 
on  your  friends  to  do  likewise ;  also,  threatening 
to  forsake   them,  in  case  of  refusal. 

"5th.  Because  you  personally,  or  by  your  instiga- 
tion, circulated  cards  in  Rev.  Mr.  Harris's  parish  re- 
specting the  Catechism,  cautioning  them  to  beware 
of  innovation  ;  undoubtedly  meaning  for  them  to 
guard  against  their  Rev.  Pastor,  who  had  previously 
introduced  Dr.  Watts's  Catechism,  agreeably  to  the 
printed  directions  of  the  school  committee,  of  which 
you  are  a  member. 

"  6th.  Because  of  your  overbearing  conduct,  in 
neglect  of  the  wishes  of  a  majority  of  the  parish, 
in  admitting  into  the  pulpit  a  number  of  min- 
isters, whom  the  parish  at  a  legal  meeting  had 
requested  not  to  preach  therein  until  their  diffi- 
culties had  subsided  ;  also  your  endeavoring  to  pre- 
vent the  customary  tolling  of  the  bell,  for  a  funeral, 
as  an  interference  with  your  lecture. 

"  7th.  Because  of  your  disrespectful  observations 


206  REMINISCENCES   OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

towards  some  of  your  fathers  and  brethren  in  the 
ministry,  whom  we  believe  sustain  unimpeachable 
characters,  both  as  men  and  Christians. 

"  8th.  Finally,  because  we  conceive,  that  while 
your  ministerial  relation  to  us  shall  continue,  there 
will  be  no  prospect  of  the  restoration  of  that 
harmony,  peace  and  brotherly  love,  which  have 
been  so  unhappily  interrupted,  and  which  we 
ardently  wish  may  soon  return." 

Mr.  Parsons  then  presented  and  read  the  charges 
of  the  aggrieved  brethren,  which  had  been  pre- 
sented to  the  church,  examined,  and  dismissed  as 
entirely  unfounded.  They  need  not  be  stated  here, 
however,  as  they  are  substantially  the  same  with 
those  of  the  parish  committee,  adding  only  two 
items  of  charge ;  one,  the  very  common  charge  of 
"deception,"  and  the  other  for  refusing,  as  alleged, 
to  attend  to  the  prescribed  form  of  Christian  dis- 
cipline, when  some  of  them  intended  to  take  the 
first  and  second  steps  with  him. 

Mr.  Parsons  then  proceeded  to  call  witnesses  and 
read  papers,  with  the  view  of  supporting  these 
charges  and  justifying  these  complaints  ;  but  with 
what  success,  the  sequel  will  show.  When  he  had 
presented   his  proofs  and  closed  his  pleadings,  Mr. 


REMINISCENCES   OF    DE.   CODMAN.  207 

Codman  commenced  his  defence.  He  commenced 
with  a  few  simple  and  appropriate  remarks  on  the 
peculiar  and  trying  situation  in  which  he  was 
placed.  He  had  not,  he  said,  intended  to  call  for 
the  assistance  of  any  one  to  plead  his  cause  ;  but 
it  had  been  his  purpose  to  leave  the  result  to  the 
wisdom  of  the  council  without  pleadings.  And 
though  his  church  had  claimed  the  right  to  advocate 
their  own  interests,  he  had  till  the  very  day  before 
asked  no  one  to  plead  his  cause  ;  and  he  had  only 
been  induced  to  ask  his  friend  and  brother,  who 
now  sat  by  his  side,  to  be  present,  and  assist 
him  if  necessary  in  reading  the  voluminous  papers, 
which  must  be  presented  to  the  council,  and  make 
such  remarks  as  might  seem  necessary  to  show  their 
connection  and  bearing.  As  to  himself,  he  said,  he 
should  do  no  more  than  present,  and,  if  able,  read 
those  papers.  He  should  introduce  no  witnesses 
to  rebut  the  testimony  of  the  many  witnesses  who 
had  been  called  upon  the  stand ;  nor  say  anything, 
by  way  of  recrimination,  against  his  disaffected 
parishioners.  After  this  brief  introduction,  he 
proceeded  to  read  the  papers  which  related  to 
his  call  and  settlement  in  Dorchester ;  his  decla- 
ration of  faith  before  the  ordaining  council ;  the 
complaints  of  his  disaffected  parishioners,  and  the 


208  REMINISCENCES   OF  DR.   CODMAN. 

whole  correspondence  between  him  and  them ; 
together  with  his  letter  of  defence  to  the  church, 
answering  the  complaints  of  the  aggrieved  brethren, 
and  the  whole  correspondence  between  him  and  the 
committee  of  the  parish,  till  the  time  of  the  calling 
of  the  council.  All  this  he  was  able  to  do 
without  assistance  ;  and  having  done  this,  he  sat 
down  in  perfect  calmness,  waiting  patiently  the 
final  issue. 

These  proceedings,  on  the  part  of  the  complaint 
and  defence,  had  occupied  the  attention  of  the 
council  from  Tuesday  till  Friday  afternoon,  when, 
at  four  o'clock,  Mr.  Solicitor  Davis,  as  advocate  of 
the  church  and  defender  of  the  legal  rights  of  the 
minority  of  the  parish,  commenced  his  plea.  His 
argument  was  able,  lucid,  and  effective.  He 
examined  the  whole  ground ;  and  showed  that 
the  course  of  proceedings  against  Mr.  Codman 
had  been  illegal  and  oppressive ;  and  he  argued 
most  conclusively,  that  an  attempt  by  the  mal- 
contents thus  to  take  advantage  of  their  own 
wrong  doings,  to  induce  Mr.  Codman  to  leave  his 
church  under  oppression,  and  without  any  prospect 
of  future  peace  and  harmonious  re-settlement  of  the 
gospel  ministry  among  them,  was  an  encroachment 
on  the  rights  of  his  clients.     To  this  single  point 


REMINISCENCES    OF    DR.   CODMAN.  209 

he   confined  his  argument;  and  to  me,  it  seemed, 
with  great  propriety  and  entire  success. 

Next  in  course,  came  the  remarks  of  Mr.  Cod- 
man's  friend,  occupying  an  hour  on  Friday  evening 
and  two  hours  on  Saturday  morning.  Of  these 
remarks  it  does  not  become  me  to  say  much.  I 
may  say,  however,  without  impropriety,  that  it 
seemed  an  easy  task  so  to  exhibit  the  character  of 
the  complaints  of  the  opposition,  and  so  to  explain 
the  testimony  of  the  witnesses,  as  to  sweep  away 
all  the  charges,  implying  anything  wrong,  alleged 
against  Mr.  Codman  ;  and  leave  his  character,  if 
not  perfectly  blameless  and  untarnished,  as  near 
the  standard  of  perfection  as  falls  to  the  lot  of 
man.  And,  as  to  the  question  of  dismission  for 
no  fault  of  his  own,  while  he  was  exercising  an 
acknowledged  right,  and  in  the  least  offensive 
manner  consistent  with  the  claims  of  conscience, 
merely  because  others  had  created  difficulty  and 
division  in  the  parish,  and  were  now  seeking 
occasion  to  take  advantage  of  their  own  wrong, 
to  secure  their  object  and  deprive  the  church 
of  the  preached  gospel,  I  need  only  say,  that  it 
seemed  to  me  a  plain  question,  easily  determined  ; 
and  I  have  no  doubt  that  it  was  made  so  to 
appear  to  all  candid  and  unprejudiced  minds. 

37 


210  REMINISCENCES   OF   DR.   CODMAN. 

Mr.  Dexter's  speech  followed,  commencing  oni 
Saturday  at  eleven  o'clock,  and  closing  at  a  quarter 
past  two.  Of  this  speech,  which  closed  the  public 
discussion  before  the  council,  I  could  say  much  ; 
and  I  most  sincerely  wish  that  it  had  been  the  prac- 
tice then,  as  it  is  now,  by  the  aid  of  stenography, 
to  secure  to  the  public  and  to  posterity  such 
splendid  productions.  It  was,  indeed,  one  of  the 
most  eloquent  speeches  of  that  truly  eloquent  man  ; 
whose  language  was  always  pure,  chaste,  strong 
and  dignified ;  and,  as  a  cotemporary  said  of  it, 
"  sufficiently  correct  for  the  press."  He  began 
with  great  modesty,  evidently  disappointed  in  the 
result  of  the  examination  of  witnesses,  and  feeling 
the  weakness  of  his  cause.  But  according  to  his 
professional  habits,  he  proceeded  to  manifest  his 
faithfulness  to  his  clients,  by  making  the  best  of  a 
bad  cause.  In  doing  this,  however,  he  showed 
great  fairness  and  candor.  He  gave  up,  at  once, 
nearly  all  the  charges  against  Mr.  Codman,  as 
questionable  in  view  of  the  evidence  produced ;  or, 
if  true,  as  unimportant  to  the  issue.  He  suffered 
himself  to  make  no  insinuations  against  the  min- 
isterial and  Christian  character  of  Mr.  Codman* 
On  the  contrary,  he  admitted  all  that  had  been 
claimed   for   him    by  his  friends,   that   he  was  an 


REMINISCENCES   OF    DR.   CODMAN,  211 

exemplary,  devoted,  able  and  faithful  minister  of 
Jesus  Christ.  But  on  the  general  subject  of  charitj 
and  liberality  of  sentiment,  his  eloquence  burst 
forth  like  a  torrent,  apparently  about  to  sweep 
everything  before  it.  It  is  true,  all  who  heard 
him  did  not  feel  the  force  of  the  argument  in 
application  to  the  case  in  hand  ;  and  some  may 
have  thought  that  it  was  not  quite  consistent  with 
the  admissions  which  his  candor  and  courtesy  had 
compelled  him  to  make.  But  it  was  eloquent  and 
imposing,  and  seemed  to  give  high  satisfaction 
to  his  employers.  All,  indeed,  saw  and  admired 
the  beauty  and  grandeur  of  the  illustrations  of 
his  principal  argument  in  favor  of  indiscriminate 
pulpit  exchanges  and  the  mingling  of  all  sorts  of 
preaching,  drawn  from  the  variety  and  harmony 
of  nature,  —  especially  from  the  eccentricity  and 
apparent  confusion  of  the  motions  of  the  heavenly 
bodies,  resulting  in  perfect  order,  and  manifesting 
unity  of  design,  displaying  the  beauty  of  variety 
and  yet  producing  uniformity  and  peace  and  har- 
mony, swelling  to  a  universal  chorus  the  accordant 
notes  of  the  "  music  of  the  spheres."  He  closed  his 
splendid  argument  w^ith  a  most  brilliant  peroration. 
And  in  the  midst  of  this  dazzling  light  the  cause 
was  committed  to  the  council. 


212  REMINISCENCES    OF   DR.   CODMAN. 

Thus  ended  the  public  hearing  and  discussion 
of  one  of  the  most  exciting  and  truly  interesting 
causes,  which  ever  agitated  the  public  mind  in 
New  England.  The  council  then  adjourned,  to 
meet  again  for  private  deliberation  and  decision 
on  the  Monday  following.  They  did  accordingly 
meet,  and  continued  their  daily  sessions  and  delib- 
erations, till  Thursday  the  7th  of  November,  when 
their  decision,  technically  called  their  result,  was 
published. 

From  this  result  I  make  the  following  extracts,' 
viz  : 

"  Upon  the  several  articles  of  charge  exhibited  against  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Codman,  the  council,  in  the  course  of  their  proceed- 
ings, passed  as  follows : 

"  Voted,  1.  That  the  charge  of  infentinnal  deception,  as 
stated  in  the  first  specification  of  the  aggrieved  brethren,  has 
not   been    supported. 

"  2.  That  the  charge  of  intentional  deception,  as  stated  in 
the  second  specification  of  the  same  article,  has  not  been  sup- 
ported. 

"  3.  That  the  charge  of  having  violated  an  express  rule  of 
Christ,  in  refusing  an  aggrieved  brother  an  opportunity  to  tell 
his  grievances,  as  stated  in  the  fourth  article  of  the  aggrieved 
brethren,  has  not  been  supported;  although  it  appears  that  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Codman  and  brother  Field  misunderstood  each  other 
in  the  attempt  to  take  the  first  step. 

**  4.  That  the  charge  of  unfeeling  and  unnatural  conduct, 
3.S  stated  in  the  third  article  of  the  parish,  is  not  supported; 


REMINISCENCES    OF    DR.    CODMAN.  213 

as  it  appears  that  the  interference  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Codman, 
in  the  tender  obsequies  of  a  funeral,  was  made  under  peculiar 
circumstances ;  and  that  his  subsequent  explanations  ought  to 
be   considered   as  satisfactory. 

*'  5.  That  the  circulation  of  a  card  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Codman, 
in  the  town  of  Dorchester,  alluded  to  in  the  fourth  article  of 
the  charges  of  the  parish,  was  an  indiscreet  and  improper  act, 
allhovgh  it  is  not  proved  that  there  teas  an  evil  or  unchristian 
design  in  the  transaction. 

"  6.  That  as  the  parties  who  brought  forward  articles  third 
of  the  aggrieved  brethren,  and  sixth  of  the  parish,  deemed 
them  unimportant,  this  council  consider  them  as  virtually 
withdrawn. 

"The  following  motion  was  then  submitted  to  the  con- 
sideration of  the  council  ; 

''  '  That  in  the  opinion  of  this  council,  the  aggrieved 
brethren,  and  the  majority  of  this  parish,  have  just  cause  of 
complaint  against  the  Rev.  Mr.  Codman  for  having  neglected 
to  exchange  ministerial  labors  with  the  ministers  of  the  Boston 
Association,  generally,  as  presented  in  the  second  article  of 
the  aggrieved  brethren,  and  in  the  first  article  of  the  com- 
mittee of  the  parish.'  " 

On  this  motion  the  council  were  equally  divided  ; 
closing  their  result  with  the  following  advice  : 

"  This  council,  at  the  conclusion  of  our  result,  feel  it  to 
be  our  duty  to  declare,  that  we  have,  as  we  trust,  attended 
with  patience  and  impartiality  to  the  statements,  evidence  and 
pleas,  which  have  been  presented  to  us  by  the  parties  in  this 
controversy,  and,  though  unable  to  decide  on  the  last  question 
which   came    before   us,   yet   we   deeply  sympathize   with   the 


214  REMINISCENCES   OF   DR.  CODMAN. 

pastor,  church  and  congregation,  under  their  present  unhappy 
divisions ;  and  unitedly  recommend  to  them  '  the  things 
which  make  for  peace,  and  things  wherewith  one  may  edify 
another.' " 

Thus  ended  the  first  great  Ecclesiastical  Council 
of  Dorchester;  and  it  was  hoped  that  the  result 
would  put  an  end  to  the  contention,  and  that  the 
leading  members  of  the  opposition  would  either 
become  reconciled  and  give  up  the  contest,  under 
the  united  and  conciliatory  advice  of  the  council, 
or  peaceably  withdraw  from  the  society,  which 
was  a  poll-parish,  and  take  measures  to  connect 
themselves  again  with  the  first  parish.  This  was 
expected ;  because  their  case  was  seen  to  be 
desperate.  For  the  council  had  acquitted  Mr. 
Codman  of  every  charge  brought  against  him, 
except  one,  and  that  a  slight  indiscretion  ;  and  in 
mitigation  of  this  charge  they  add,  *'  though  it  is 
not  proved  that  there  was  an  evil  or  unchristian 
design  in  the  transaction."  Indeed,  whoever  reads 
Mr.  Codman's  explanation  of  the  affair,  made  to 
his  church,  will  fully  agree  with  the  council,  in 
acquitting  him  of  all  moral  blame  in  the  case,  and 
doubt  the  propriety  of  calling  it  "  an  indiscreet 
and  improper  act,"  even  with  the  mitigating  and 
exculpating    clause    subjoined.      What    could    the 


REMINISCENCES   OF   DH.   CODMAN.  215 

opposition  expect  to  obtain,  after  having  been 
proved  in  the  wrong,  at  every  point,  by  the  de- 
cision of  the  council  on  the  investigation  of  all 
their  multiplied  and  reiterated  charges  against  their 
pastor  ?  It  is  true  that  on  the  question  of  expe- 
diency, in  relation  to  Mr.  Codman's  dismission,  the 
council  were  equally  divided  ;  and,  therefore,  no 
positive  decision  was  made.  But  here  the  ina- 
bility to  decide  the  question  positively,  operated  of 
necessity  precisely  as  would  a  negative  decision. 
It  left  Mr.  Codman  in  full  standing  in  his  original 
position  as  pastor  of  the  church  and  minister  of 
the  parish,  possessing  all  the  rights  and  under  all 
the  obligations  which  belong  to  this  high  relation  ; 
and  what  is  more,  left  him  with  a  character 
unimpeached  and  proved  to  be  unimpeachable. 
Indeed,  it  is  wonderful,  and  was  at  the  time 
viewed  as  an  unexampled  case,  that  he  came  out 
of  the  fiery  trial  so  free  from  injury  —  that  he  had 
been  kept  for  three  years  so  free  from  imprudent 
words  and  acts,  amid  such  high  provocations  and 
continual  annoyances.  He,  in  his  humility,  attrib- 
uted the  fact  to  the  restraining  grace  of  God, 
and  to  his  kind  providence  in  surrounding  him 
with  faithful  friends  ;  and  especially  in  placing  by 
his  side  that  wise  and  judicious  counsellor,  Deacon 


216  REMINISCENCES    OF   DR.   CODMAN. 

Badlam,  whom  he  always  consulted  in  all  his 
emergencies,  and  whose  advice  he  generally  found 
it  safe  to  follow. 

In  view  of  the  result  of  the  council,  therefore,  and 
in  view  of  all  the  circumstances  in  which  the  result 
placed  Mr.  Codman  and  the  disaffected  members 
of  his  parish,  it  was  hoped  that  the  controversy 
would  cease,  and  that  he  might  be  left  to  pursue 
his  course  of  ministerial  labors  unmolested.  But 
in  this,  as  will  appear  in  the  sequel,  he  and  his 
friends  were  doomed  to  be  disappointed. 

Before  I  proceed,  however,  with  the  history  of 
the  opposition  to  Mr.  Codman,  it  seems  desirable 
that  some  further  account  should  be  given  of  the 
character  and  proceedings  of  the  council.  In  order 
to  meet  this  demand,  and  supply  this  desideratum, 
I  remark,  that  the  council  was  constituted  by  select- 
ing the  most  prominent  ministers  of  the  time.  The 
parties  seem  to  have  looked  over  all  the  churches 
in  Massachusetts,  and  to  have  nominated,  each  for 
itself,  those  whose  pastors  they  deemed  among  the 
most  influential  and  most  evidently  disposed  to 
sympathize  with  them  in  their  respective  views. 
Probably  there  was  much  correspondence  and  con- 
sultation  on    the    subject.       Certainly  it  was   one 


REMINISCENCES   OF   DR.   CODMAN.  217 

of  the  most  dignified  bodies  of  the  kind,  which 
I  was  ever  permitted  to  behold  ;  and  I  believe  it 
was  so  viewed  by  all  who  knew  the  men ;  and 
the  same  remark  may  be  extended  generally,  to 
the  lay  members  as  well  as  to  their  pastors.  It 
was  evident,  indeed,  that  the  churches  which  were 
requested  to  take  part  in  forming  this  council, 
took  care  to  select  their  respective  delegates,  to 
accompany  their  pastors,  from  among  their  most 
able  and  experienced  members. 

It  will  be  seen  therefore  at  once,  that  the 
decision  of  such  a  council,  where  the  decision  was 
unanimous  or  nearly  so,  would  have  great  weight. 
And  this  was  the  fact,  as  it  regarded  all  the 
charges  which  had  any  bearing  on  Mr.  Cod  man's 
character  as  a  Christian  minister.  The  consequence 
to  him  was,  to  give  him  an  elevated  standing  before 
the  Christian  community  ;  and  so  far  to  disarm  the 
enemies  of  what  he  accounted  the  truth,  and  the 
disaffected  members  of  his  parish  generally,  as  to 
silence  the  tongue  of  slander.  Henceforth,  there- 
fore, he  had  no  charges  to  meet,  nor  any  slanderous 
reports  to  contradict.  The  opposition  were  obliged 
to  resort  to  other  means,  in  their  farther  attempt 
to  drive  him  from  his  post. 


218  REMINISCENCES  OF   DR.   CODMAN. 

But  it  may  be  asked,  if  this  coancil  was  com- 
posed of  men  of  such  standing  and  character,  and 
if  they  were  really  so  fair  and  impartial,  as  to 
agree  in  acquitting  Mr.  Codman  of  all  the  charges 
against  him  which  were  calculated  to  injure  his 
character,  how  came  it  to  pass  that  they  were 
divided  so  equally,  and  so  apparently  by  party  lines, 
upon  the  great  practical  question  of  dismission  ? 
How  can  this  be  reconciled  with  the  supposition 
of  fairness,  impartiality,  or  even  sincerity  and  an 
independent  judgment  ? 

I  am  desirous  of  explaining  this,  a^  far  as 
possible.  For  I  had  a  high  respect  for  most  of 
the  members  of  that  council,  and  especially  those 
whom  I  best  knew.  They  were  all  my  seniors ; 
and,  though  some  of  them  differed  from  me  in 
religious  sentiments,  I  viewed  them  as  honorable 
and  upright  men.  I  had  no  apprehension,  indeed, 
that  any  of  them  would  designedly  do  Mr.  Codman 
an  injury  by  their  decision.  And  this  high  opinion 
of  their  integrity  was  fully  supported  by  their 
agreement  in  exculpating  him  from  every  charge 
of  moral  or  Christian  delinquency.  But  the  ques- 
tion upon  which  the  division  took  place,  was  viewed 
at  that  period,  especially  by  what  was  called  the 
liberal  party,  as  a  question  of  expediency,  merely ; 


REMINISCENCES    OF    DR.   CODMAN.  219 

and  the  judgment  of  each  man,  in  this  case,  seems 
to  have  been  formed  in  view  of  what  he  considered 
as  expedient,  and  calculated  to  produce  the  best 
effect  ;  and  this,  of  course,  must  have  depended 
principally  on  his  religious  sentiments  and  the 
importance  which  he  attached  to  the  prevalence 
of  those  views.  This  I  believe  was  the  true  ground 
of  the  division  ;  at  least,  the  true  cause  of  the 
action  of  those  members  of  the  council  who  were 
nominated  by  the  committee  of  the  parish,  and 
who  were  probably  known,  even  before  their 
appointment,  to  entertain  these  so-called  liberal 
views,  on  the  general  subject.  Indeed,  we  have 
on  record  evidence  to  justify  this  candid  suppo- 
sition. The  arguments  used  in  the  secret  session 
of  the  council,  as  stated  at  the  time,  by  one  of 
the  most  accurate  reporters  and  distinguished  mem- 
bers, abundantly  proves  this.  And  so  important 
does  this  statement  appear,  to  complete  the  history 
of  the  case,  that  I  should  be  glad  to  see  it  re- 
published entire,  as  printed  in  the  '  Panoplist,'  a 
periodical  of  the  times.  I  can  here,  however, 
introduce  a  short  extract  only,  from  the  close  of 
the  article,  which  bears  honorable  testimony  to 
the  character  of  the  council,  and  shows  the  can- 
dor and  impartiality  of  the  writer :  "  Though  the 


220  REMINISCENCES   OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

council  was  not  so  happy  as  to  decide  the  con- 
troversy, the  discussions  were  carried  on,  in  gen- 
eral, with  good  temper,  and  apparent  good  will ; 
and  when  the  council  was  dissolved,  the  members 
separated  with  many  expressions  of  tenderness  and 
respect." 

I  add  simply,  that  this  testimony  corroborates, 
in  my  mind,  the  opinion  which  I  had  formed  of 
the  fair  characters  of  the  members  of  the  council, 
and  seems  to  me  to  establish  the  theory,  by  which 
I  have  attempted  to  account  for  their  equal  division 
on  the  great  question  of  expediency  before  them. 
They  differed  in  their  action  on  the  question,  be- 
cause they  differed  in  their  apprehensions  of  the 
probable  consequences  of  the  result;  and  this  differ- 
ence depended  on  their  respective  religious  views 
and  sympathies. 


THE  EFFECTS  OF  THE  RESULT  OF  THE  FIRST  COUNCIL,  AND  THE 
CONTINUANCE  OF  THE  CONTROVERSY  TILL  THE  CALLING  OF  THE 
SECOND. 

When  the  result  of  the  council  was  published, 
as  previously  stated,  there  was  a  prevailing  hope 
that  the  controversy  would  cease ;  that  the  leading 


REMINISCENCES   OF  DR.   CODMAN.  221 

members  of  the  opposition  would  by  agreement 
withdraw,  and  either  return  to  the  first  parish  or 
form  a  new  society,  or  at  least  remain  quiet  under 
their  defeat.  But,  in  this  expectation,  all  who  en- 
tertained it  were  doomed  to  be  disappointed.  For 
scarcely  had  three  weeks  elapsed  before  the  oppo- 
sition raised  its  head  again,  presenting  a  bolder 
front,  and  a  more  determined  countenance  of  defi- 
ance.^     On    the   28th    of  November,   at   a  parish 


*  For  myself,  however,  I  had  little  reason  to  hope  for  so  happy  a 
result.  I  had  evidence,  indeed,  from  the  resentment  shown  to  me 
personally,  for  the  part  which  I  had  been  called  to  take  before  the 
council,  as  Mr.  Cod  man's  friend,  that  the  spirit  of  opposition  to  Mr. 
Codman  was  not  subdued.  A  few  days  after  the  session  of  the  coun- 
cil, I  received  an  anonymous  letter,  purporting  (I  presume  falsely)  to 
have  been  written  by  female  members  of  the  society,  in  language  of 
unmeasured  reproach,  and  accompanied  with  a  significant  token  of 
disrespect. 

In  this  connection,  perhaps,  I  ought  to  state  a  fact,  which  may  have 
been  the  provoking  occasion  of  the  preceding  transaction.  About 
the  same  time  I  received  a  substantial  present,  with  a  kind  note,  from 
a  committee  of  ladies  from  Dorchester.  The  present  consisted  of  a 
silver  tea-set,  each  piece  bearing  the  following  inscription : 

From  the  Ladies  of  .the  Eev.  Mr.  Codman's  Society  in  Dorchester, 

TO  THE  Eev.  Mr.  Bates, 

As  A  Testimony  of  their  gratitude  and  esteem, 

Nov.  1811. 


222  REMINISCENCES  OF  DR.   CODMAN. 

meeting  called  for  the  purpose,  after  a  long  pre- 
amble, it  was 

Voted,  That  *  *  *  be  a  commitee,  with  full  power  and 
authority  to  appoint  and  agree  with  the  Rev.  Mr.  Codman,  in 
choosing  a  mutual  ecclesiastical  council ;  or,  in  case  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Codman  refuses  to  join  and  agree  with  them  in  choosing 
such  council,  forthwith  to  appoint  an  ex-parte  ecclesiastical 
council,  to  take  into  consideration  the  complaints  against  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Codman,  on  account  of  his  having  refused  and  neg- 
lected, contrary  to  the  expectation  and  wishes  of  the  parish,  to 
exchange  ministerial  labors  with  most  of  the  Reverend  clergy 
of  the  Boston  Association  of  ministers  ;  and  to  take  in  view 
the  present  unhappy  state  and  situation  of  the  parish,  and  to 
give  their  advice  or  result,  whether  it  is  expedient  or  necessary 
that  the  Rev.  Mr.  Codman  should  be  dismissed  from  his  minis- 
terial and  pastoral  office  in  said  parish,  or  that  he  should  be 
advised  to  ask  a  dismission,  and  that  the  parish  should  be  re- 
quested to  grant  the  same  upon  just  and  honorable  terms. 

Thus  it  appeared  that  the  spirit  of  the  oppo- 
sition, though  it  had  been  checked  for  a  moment 
bv  the  result  and  advice  of  the  council,  had  lost 
nothing  in  power  or  zeal.  On  the  contrary,  it  was 
evident  that,  nourished  from  some  secret  source,  it 
was  actually  increasing  in  both  these  respects,  and 
gathering  strength  and  courage  for  a  more  vigorous 
and  determined  onset. 

It  may  perhaps  at  this  day,  when  the  cir- 
cumstances  of  the   case   can    be    but    imperfectly 


REMINISCENCES   OF  DR.  CODMAN.  223 

known,  be  asked,  why  Mr.  Codman  did  not  at 
once  withdraw  from  the  scene  of  trial,  and  avoid 
the  gathering  storm  which  seemed  ready  to  burst 
with  overwhelming  fury  upon  his  devoted  head? 
He  certainly  could  have  done  it  with  apparent 
advantage  to  himself,  to  his  personal  security 
and  happiness.  The  council  had  acquitted  him 
of  the  faults  charged  against  him,  and  left  him 
with  an  untarnished  reputation,  and  even  an  ele- 
vated character ;  and  he  could  unquestionably  have 
retired  and  found  a  place  of  useful  settlement 
and  peaceful  labor,  in  almost  any  portion  of  the 
Christian  church.  Why,  then,  it  may  be  inquired, 
did  he  not  ask  a  dismission  and  give  up  the  con- 
test; and  thus  secure  his  own  peace  and  happiness? 
In  all  ordinary  cases,  under  similar  trials,  such  a 
course  seems  to  be  prudent.  But  in  this  case  the 
interests  of  all  the  churches  were  thought  to  be 
deeply  involved.  He  seemed,  not  in  his  own 
opinion  only,  but  in  the  judgment  of  many  of  his 
friends  and  advisers,  to  be  placed  in  circumstances 
of  peculiar  responsibility,  and  called  to  suffer  loss 
and  endure  persecution  for  Christ's  sake  and  the 
cause  of  evangelical  truth  and  piety.  Besides  this 
general  consideration  of  duty,  growing  out  of  the 
peculiar  relations  which  he  sustained,  and  in  which 


224  REMINISCENCES   OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

the  interests  of  all  the  churches  were  involved, 
there  was  one  which  directly  appealed  to  the  heart 
of  Christian  friendship  and  covenant-obligation. 
His  own  beloved  church,  with  whom  he  had  entered 
into  covenant-engagements,  were  in  danger  of  being 
left,  if  he  should  flee,  as  sheep  without  a  shepherd, 
and  of  being  scattered  on  the  dark  mountains. 
Their  pledges  of  affection  and  their  appeals  to  his 
heart  had  been  frequently  and  urgently  made  ; 
and  now  they  had  become  irresistible  to  a  heart 
of  Christian  sensibility.  If  it  be  asked,  then, 
why  he  did  not  seek  his  own  peace  and  quiet, 
and  at  once  leave  his  church  and  people,  when 
thus  perseveringly  opposed  and  persecuted,  the 
answer  may  be  found  in  these  two  high  consider- 
ations of  duty  and  affection.  Whoever  reads  the 
report  of  a  committee  of  the  church,  to  whom 
the  reiterated  charges  of  the  aggrieved  brethren, 
who  acted  with  the  opposition,  was  referred,  — 
a  report  presented  and  unanimously  adopted  De- 
cember 12,  1811,  as  published  in  the  proceedings, 
page  116,  will  find  an  answer  to  this  inquiry,  which 
must  afford  satisfaction  to  every  candid,  intelligent 
Christian. 

In   consequence    of   the    decisive    action    of   the 
church  in  adopting  this  report,  attempts  were  again 


REMINISCENCES   OF  DR.   CODMAN.  225 

made  to  purchase  the  pews  belonging  to  the 
malcontents  in  the  parish,  and  induce  them  to 
withdraw  in  peace.  But  it  was  all  in  vain. 
Accordingly,  another  diplomatic  correspondence 
ensued,  terminating  at  last  in  the  agreement  to 
call  another  mutual  ecclesiastical  council. 


THE    SECOND    COUNCIL.— PROCEEDINGS    AND    RESULT.— SUBSEQUENT    DIF- 
nCULTIES,  TILL  THE  MALCONTENTS  WITHDREW  FROM  THE  PARISH. 

The  second  council,  by  agreement  of  the  par- 
ties,— Mr.  Codman  and  the  church  on  the  one  hand, 
and  the  parish  committee  with  the  seven  aggrieved 
church  members  on  the  other, — met  at  Dorchester 
May  12,  1812,  and  was  organized  by  the  choice 
of  Dr.  Lathrop,  as  moderator,  and  of  Dr.  Worcester 
and  Mr.  Thayer,  as  scribes.  After  a  session  of 
two  days,  the  following  motion  was  proposed,  dis- 
cussed and  acted  on  by  the  council,  viz  : 

"  In  the  opinion  of  this  council,  under  existing 
circumstances,  it  is  expedient  that  the  minis- 
terial and  pastoral  relation  between  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Codman  and  the  second  parish  in  Dorchester  be 
dissolved." 

29 


226  REMINISCENCES   OF  DR.   CODMAN. 

What  was  said  in  the  secret  session  of  the 
council  was,  as  far  as  I  know,  never  fully  made 
public.  It  was  reported,  however,  that  the  motion 
embracing  the  preceding  proposition  was  based 
on  the  question  of  exchanges,  in  connection  with 
the  divided  state  of  the  parish.  But  whatever  the 
arguments  were  on  the  one  side  and  the  other, 
the  result  was  what  all  expected,  who  knew  the 
sympathies  of  the  members.  On  taking  the  ques- 
tion, the  ministers  and  delegates  from  churches 
selected  by  the  committee  of  the  parish,  all  voted 
in  the  affirmative  ;  and  the  ministers  and  delegates 
from  the  churches  selected  by  Mr.  Codman  and  his 
church,  all  voted  in  the  negative.  Of  course  it 
devolved  on  Dr.  Lathrop,  the  moderator  and  umpire 
according  to  the  agreement  of  the  parties,  to  decide 
the  question.  He  accordingly  gave  his  vote,  which 
was  found  to  be  in  the  negative.  But  he  added 
an  indefinite  recommendation  to  Mr.  Codman  to 
"  open  a  more  free  and  liberal  intercourse  with 
his  ministerial  brethren."  Whether  the  opposition 
would  have  submitted  to  the  decision,  if  this  expla- 
nation of  his  vote  by  the  moderator  had  been 
withheld,  is  questionable;  indeed,  improbable.  But 
the  explanation,  or  rather  appended  condition,  fur- 
nished to  them  the  occasion  of  continued  discus- 


REMINISCENCES   OF  DR.   CODMAN.  227 

sion  and  complaint,  and  perhaps  of  hope,  that  they 
should  ultimately  succeed  in  driving  Mr.  Codman 
from  his  post,  and  in  triumphing  over  the  church. 

Mr.  Codman,  however,  declared  his  acquiescence 
in  the  decision  of  the  council,  and  his  determination 
to  follow  the  advice  of  the  venerable  moderator,  as 
far  as  he  conscientiously  could;  and,  as  he  supposed, 
according  to  its  true  spirit  and  intended  meaning. 
To  his  confidential  friends  he  said,  that  there  were 
several  ministers  in  the  vicinity  with  whom  he  had 
never  exchanged,  with  whom,  however,  he  was 
ready  to  make  the  arrangement ;  and  with  whom 
he  should  have  long  ago  exchanged,  if  they  had 
made  the  application,  or  if  he  had  found  it  con- 
venient  to  exchange. 

The  opposition,  however,  was  not  dead,  and  could 
not  rest.  In  about  two  months  after  the  decision 
of  the  council,  the  parish  committee  opened  the 
controversy  again,  by  directing  a  letter  to  Mr. 
Codman,  requiring  a  categorical  answer  to  the 
question,  whether  or  not  he  intended  to  exchange, 
and  that  indiscriminately,  with  twelve  ministers 
of  the  Boston  Association  whom  they  named,  and 
with  whom  he  had  never  exchanged.  To  this 
application  Mr.  Codman,  with  his  usual  promptness, 
decision  and  courtesy,  returned  for  answer,  "  that 


228  REMINISCENCES   OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

he  should  endeavor  to  comply  with  the  true  spirit 
and  meaning  of  the  result  of  the  last  council ;  that 
the  right  of  regulating  his  exchanges  was  admitted 
to  be  in  him ;  that  the  council  could  not  have 
intended,  by  admitting  the  advice  of  the  modera- 
tor as  a  part  of  their  result,  that  he  should  bind 
himself  by  any  pledge,  as  to  exchanging  with 
individuals ;  that  he  should  endeavor  to  preach  at 
home,  as  much  as  possible  ;  and  that,  when  he  did 
exchange,  he  should  consult  the  feelings  and  wishes 
of  his  people  in  general." 

This  reply  seems  to  have  confounded  the  oppo- 
sition, and  restrained  their  action,  whatever  it  was 
intended  to  be,  for  several  weeks.  In  the  mean 
time  Mr.  Codman  exchanged  with  two  out  of  the 
twelve  ministers  named  by  the  parish  committee. 
But  this  act  of  condescension,  so  far  from  allaying 
the  spirit  of  opposition,  seems  only  to  have  inflamed 
it,  and  driven  the  restless  combination,  or  rather 
their  leaders,  to  acts  of  desperation  and  self- 
destruction.  For  on  the  30th  of  September,  about 
four  months  from  the  time  of  the  meeting  of  the 
second  council,  a  number  of  individuals  claiming 
to  act  for  the  majority  of  the  parish,  addressed  a 
letter  to  Mr.  Codman,  repeating  their  demand  for 
indiscriminate  exchanges,  and  complaining,  notwith- 


REMINISCENCES   OF  DR.  CODMAN.  229 

Standing  the  fact  just  stated,  "  of  the  infrequency 
of  his  exchanges."  "  Are  one  or  two  stars,"  they 
strangely  ask,  in  language  evidently  borrowed  from 
Mr.  Dexter's  eloquent  speech  before  the  first  council 
— "  are  one  or  two  stars,  though  of  the  first  magni- 
tude, to  content  us  for  the  light  which  might  be 
derived  from  all  the  planets  of  our  system,  revolving 
in  regular  succession  ?  "  Still  Mr.  Codman  treated 
his  opposers  with  kindness  and  courtesy.  In  reply 
to  this  language  of  reproach,  he  refers  the  writers 
to  his  last  preceding  letter,  and  states  the  fact  that 
he  had  already  "  opened  a  more  free  and  liberal 
intercourse  with  his  ministerial  brethren,  and  should 
continue  to  do  so,  as  far  as  time  and  circumstances 
would  admit." 

The  parish  difficulties  were  now  rapidly  ap- 
proaching a  crisis  ;  and  the  actors  in  this  comic- 
tragedy  rushing  forward  to  the  catastrophe.  On 
the  26th  of  October,  forty-six  disaffected  members 
of  the  parish  wrote  again  to  Mr.  Codman,  declaring 
that  nothing  but  a  separation  would  restore  tran- 
quillity to  the  church  and  society,  urging  him 
to  ask  a  dismission,  and  intimating,  in  the  most 
expressive  terms,  that  it  was  too  late  to  think 
of  any  conciliation  by  means  of  exchanges.  Mr. 
Codman   replied    promptly  and    explicitly,  that  he 


230  REMINISCENCES   OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

had  made  up  his  mind  not  to  ask  a  dismission. 
His  letter,  however,  which  was  dated  November 
12,  1812,  breathed  a  spirit  of  benevolence  in 
regard  to  his  opposers,  and  expressed  a  strong 
desire  still  to  promote  their  spiritual  good. 

But  there  seems  to  have  been,  on  their  part,  no 
reciprocation  of  these  expressions  of  kind  and 
benevolent  feelings.  For  on  the  24th  of  the  same 
month  a  parish  meeting  was  held,  in  which,  by  a 
vote  of  fifty-five  to  forty-five,  however  irregular 
and  illegal,  Mr.  Codman  was  declared  to  be  dis- 
missed. 

This  illegal  proceeding  was  followed  by  an  act  of 
outrage  which  has  no  parallel  in  modern,  civilized 
Christendom.  It  was  known  to  his  opposers,  that 
Mr.  Codman  had  engaged  to  exchange  on  the  next 
Sabbath  with  one  of  the  twelve  members  of  the 
Boston  Association,  whom  they  had  named  to  him, 
and  with  all  of  whom  they  had  endeavored  to  com- 
pel him  to  exchange.  Having  induced  this  gentle- 
man to. excuse  himself  to  Mr.  Codman  for  refusing 
to  fulfill  his  engagement,  they  procured  a  dismissed 
minister  from  abroad,  who  was  to  preach  for  them 
as  soon  as  they  had  succeeded  in  their  determina- 
tion of  excluding  Mr.  Codman  from  the  pulpit.  It 
was  a  bold  attempt  to  accomplish,  by  direct  viola- 


REMINISCENCES   OF  DR.   CODMAN.  231 

tion  of  law,  what  they  had  failed  to  do  under  cover 
and  in  accordance  with  the  forms  of  law. 

Mr.  Codman  heard  of  the  arrangement,  and  took 
every  prudent  measure  to  prevent  the  outrage.  But 
he  knew  what  would  be  the  legal  effect  of  allowing 
them  to  take  and  keep  peaceable  possession  of  his 
pulpit ;  and  he  was  not  to  be  intimidated  by  threats 
of  violence,  nor  induced  to  neglect  the  duty  of 
meeting  his  flock  in  the  sanctuary. 

Accordingly  Mr.  Codman  went  to  the  house  of 
worship  rather  earlier  than  usual  on  Sabbath  morn- 
ing ;  and  the  scene  which  followed  is  thus  described 
and  left  on  record  by  a  cotemporary  : 

"  When  he  entered,  he  found  eight  sturdy  men  posted  on 
the  pulpit  stairs,  four  on  each  side  of  the  pulpit,  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  obstruct  the  passage  entirely.  Mr.  Codman  was 
determined  to  do  all  in  his  power  to  maintain  his  rights. 
He  advanced,  therefore,  in  his  way  to  the  pulpit,  till  he 
crowded  hard  against  the  bodies  of  the  rioters  ;  and,  finding 
in  them  no  disposition  to  yield,  he  turned  into  the  seat  under 
the  pulpit,  and  soon  after  began  public  worship.  In  the  mean 
time,  he  had  expressly  demanded  admission  into  the  pulpit ; 
and  one  of  his  friends,  senior  deacon  of  the  church,  and  a 
magistrate  of  the  county,  made  a  suitable  declaration,  and 
ordered  the  rioters  to  desist  from  their  unlawful  purposes. 
All  this  had  no  effect ;  and  the  agitation  of  the  assembly  was 
now  considerable.  When  Mr.  Codman  began  public  worship, 
all    became   quiet,   and   the   exercises   were   unusually   solemn 


232  REMINISCENCES   OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

and  affecting.  In  the  midst  of  the  first  prayer,  the  redoubtable 
preacher  for  the  parish  committee  made  his  appearance  ;  and 
his  guard  of  honor  opened  and  gave  him  entrance  into  the 
pulpit.  There  he  staid  during  the  remainder  of  the  services ; 
and,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  he  made  no  further  disturbance 
till  Mr.  Codman  had  pronounced  the  blessing;  unless  it  be, 
that  he  discovered  sundry  symptoms  of  uneasiness,  and  appeared 
anxious,  as  the  audience  shrewdly  imagined,  to  find  some  gap, 
or  break,  into  which  he  might  thrust  the  commencement  of 
his  services.  But  no  such  gap,  or  break,  was  he  able  to  find, 
and   he   made  no  noise  or  other  disturbance. 

"  When  Mr.  Codman  had  dismissed  the  assembly,  he  stepped 
forward  into  the  middle  of  the  house,  addressed  the  said 
preacher  by  name,  expressed  surprise  at  such  an  intrusion, 
and  forbade  his  preaching  in  that  place.  The  magistrate,  to 
whom  we  have  alluded,  confirmed  the  statement  of  Mr. 
Codman,  and  declared  such  an  intrusion  to  be  a  violation  of 
all  law,  order  and  propriety.  Several  others  urged  the  same 
thing. 

"  The  preacher  replied,  in  substance,  that  he  did  not  wish 
to  do  any  thing  contrary  to  the  peace  of  the  parish,  (not  he, 
good  peaceable  soul,  not  he,)  but  he  must  proceed.  The 
magistrate  then  made  proclamation,  that  all  the  friends  of 
law,  order  and  decency,  would  be  expected  to  retire.  They 
retired  accordingly,  and  the  preacher  was  left  to  address  a 
comparatively  empty  house.  He  went  through  with  his 
exercises,  had  a  very  short  intermission,  and  was  nearly 
through  his  second  sermon,  when  Mr.  Codman  and  his  friends 
assembled  for  worship  in  the  afternoon.  It  seems  that  the 
redoubtable  preacher  was  quite  a  legal  character,  as  he  could 
tell,  at  the  first  blush,  how  the  Supreme  Court  would  decide 
Mr.  Codman's  controversy ;  and,  being  such  a  legal  character, 


REMINISCENCES    OF   DR.   CODMAN.         233 

he  well  knew  that  possession  was  a  great  point  in  the  law. 
He  therefore  wisely  determined  to  keep  possession  of  the 
pulpit  during  his  short  intermission.  The  refreshment,  which 
was  afforded  him,  he  took  without  leaving  the  house.  After 
the  completion  of  his  services,  he  and  his  hearers  retired, 
and  Mr.  Codman  ascended  the  pulpit,  and  preached  as  usual. 
The  preacher  of  the  parish  committee  had  forty-eight  hearers 
on  the  lower  floor  of  the  house,  at  his  afternoon  service  ; 
Mr.  Codman  had  two  hundred  and  twenty.  The  proportion 
in  the  gallery  was  probably  not  very  different.  Mr.  Codman 
preached  in  the  forenoon  from  these  words  :  Casting  all  your 
care  vpori  him  ;  for  he  carcth  for  you.  And  in  the  afternoon 
^rova— Father  forgive  them;  for  they  know  not  lohat  the.y  do. 
Though  his  sermons  had  no  allusion,  not  the  slightest,  to  the 
parish  troubles,  they  were  thought  to  apply  admirably. 

"  Though  the  preacher  of  the  parish  committee  was  a  liber  I 
man,  and  though  Mr.  Codman's  oppnsers  were  all,  all  liberal 
men,  yet  it  does  not  follow  that  all  other  liberal  men  were 
willing  to  go  with  them  to  such  a  pitch  of  extravagance. 
This  was  very  far  from  being  the  case.  Their  proceedings, 
on  this  Sabbath,  were  condemned  by  men  of  all  parties;  and 
by  none  more  feelingly  than  by  distinguished  persons  in  the 
liberal  party.  Some  of  these  persons  advised  to  an  immediate 
prosecution  of  the  intruding  preacher  for  a  trespass ;  and  all 
saw,  that  these  riotous  proceedings  had  removed  every  plausible 
covering  of  the  designs  and  characters  of  Mr.  Codman's  prin- 
cipal opposers  in  the  parish.  When  some  of  these  opposers 
came  into  Boston,  on  Monday  morning,  they  found  the  current 
so  strong  and  overwhelming  against  them,  that  they  were  in- 
duced to  offer  terms  of  compromise,  on  that  very  day,  which 
were  ultimately  accepted,  and  which  secured  the  meeting- 
house   to   Mr.   Codman    and    his   friends,    and   to   himself  the 

30 


234  REMINISCENCES   OF  DR.   CODMAN. 

perfect  right  of  exchanging  ministerial  labors  according  to  his 
own  sense  of  duty  and  propriety." 


The  terms  of  the  compromise  need  not  be  stated 
here.  It  is  sufficient  for  our  purpose  to  remark, 
that  they  were  substantially  the  same  with  those 
which  had  been  twice  offered  to  the  disaffected 
members  of  the  society.  Mr.  Codman  and  his 
friends  agreed  to  purchase,  and  did  purchase,  the 
pews  of  all  who  chose  to  sell  them,  at  the  cost, 
they  agreeing  to  withdraw  from  the  parish,  and 
binding  themselves  not  thereafter  to  interfere  with 
its  proceedings. 

Thus  ended  the  mighty  struggle  ;  and  thus  the 
cause  of  truth  and  right  obtained  a  triumph,  which 
gave  a  check  to  the  prevailing  errors  of  the  times, 
and  led  to  such  a  disruption  of  an  unnatural 
alliance  between  men  of  antagonistic  sentiments, 
as  has  given  peace  generally  to  the  evangelical 
churches  of  New  England.  At  least  the  result 
was  a  state  of  peace  in  Dorchester,  and  prosperity 
to  the  church  of  the  Redeemer.  Within  a  very 
short  period  the  second  parish  in  Dorchester  was 
increased,  all  the  pews  were  occupied,  and  the 
congregation  became  larger  than  it  had  ever  been. 
Mr.  Codman  was  blessed  with  a  growing  and  har- 


REMINISCENCES  OF   DR.   CODMAN.  235 

monious  church,  and  enjoyed  a  long  and  successful 
and  happy  ministry. 

In  confirmation  and  illustration  of  the  preceding 
remark,  I  adduce  the  following  extracts  from  an 
anniversary  sermon,  preached  by  Dr.  Codman, 
December  7,  1845, — thirty-seven  years  from  the 
time  of  his  ordination,  and  three  before  his  decease : 

"  Thirty-three  years  have  now  passed  since  our  new  organ- 
ization ;  and  we  have  reason  to  bless  God  and  be  thankful,  for 
the  peace  and  rest  and  edification  we  have  enjoyed  during  that 
period.  A  gradual  increase  has  been  made  both  to  the  church 
and  congregation  ;  and,  notwithstanding  the  secession  from  our 
society,  the  loss  has  been  more  than  supplied.  A  flourishing 
church,  of  the  same  faith  and  order  with  ourselves,  now  exists 
in  the  south  part  of  the  town,  which  owes  its  origin  to  the 
success  with  which  the  Lord  has  been  pleased  to  bless  this 
society."  —  '*  The  history  of  the  Second  Church  in  Dorchester 
will  form  an  important  part  of  the  ecclesiastical  history  of  New 
England.  The  views  here  maintained,  of  ministerial  exchanges, 
led  to  the  first  stand  that  was  taken  in  the  great  controversy, 
that  afterwards  agitated  the  churches  on  the  subject  of  Unita- 
rianism.  Had  your  pastor  been  driven  from  his  post,  it  would 
have  been  the  signal  for  an  attack  upon  many  of  his  brethren 
who  sympathized  with  him  in  his  religious  opinions.  He  felt 
that  he  was  not  acting  for  himself  alone,  but  for  others ;  he 
felt  that  he  was  acting  for  a  cause  that  was  infinitely  dearer 
to  him  than  any  personal  consideration — the  cauae  of  Christ. 
It  was  this  consciousness  that  supported  him  under  all  his  trials  ; 
that  animated  him  under  all  the  opposition  and  persecution 
he  had  to  meet,  and  enabled   him  to  persevere  in  the  course 


236  REMINISCENCES   OF  DR.   CODMAN. 

he  had  undertaken.  I  have  often  looked  back  with  astonishment 
upon  that  period." — *'  Surely,  it  was  God  who  sustained  me.  If 
the  Lord  had  not  been  on  our  side,  we  may  now  say, — '  If  it 
had  not  been  the  Lord,  who  was  on  our  side  ;  when  men  rose 
up  against  us,  then  they  had  swallowed  us  up  quick,  when  their 
wrath  was  kindled  against  us.'  " 

Thus  am  I  brought  to  the  conduding  part  of 
this  memorial ; — to  the  notices  which,  at  the  begin- 
ning, I  promised  to  give  of  Dr.  Codman's  promi- 
nent traits  of  character, — traits  exhibited,  and,  in 
a  great  measure  formed,  during  his  severe  trials. 
And  the  notices  w^hich  I  am  about  to  give,  are 
the  result  of  my  own  observation,  during  the  long 
and  intimate  intercourse  which  I  was  permitted  to 
hold  with  him. 


DR.  CODMAN'S  NATURAL  AND   SOCIAL   QUALITIES. 

I  begin  with  a  brief  description  of  him,  viewed 
simply  as  a  man  ;  directing  my  remarks,  under  this 
head,  to  his  personal  appearance  and  to  his  natural 
and  social  qualities.  When  he  was  a  young  man, 
he  was  neither  remarkably  slender,  nor  the  reverse  ; 
but  rather  of  a  middle  size,  as  well  as  common 
stature.     His  countepiance  was  fair  and  florid  ;  and 


REMINISCENCES   OF  DR.  CODMAN.  237 

his  face,  though  remarkable  for  nothing  as  to  form 
or  features,  exce}3t  the  prominence  of  his  forehead, 
exhibited  much  of  that  indescribable  meanino:, 
which  in  the  language  of  poetry  constitutes  "  the 
human  face  divine  " — much  of  strength  and  dignity, 
mingled  with  mildness  and  benevolence.  As  he 
advanced  in  life,  he  became  somewhat  corpulent ; 
not  so  much  so,  however,  as  to  prevent  his  contin- 
ued activity  and  vigor,  both  of  body  and  mind. 

His  social  qualities  were  of  the  highest  order. 
He  was  always  cheerful  and  affable  ;  attractive  to 
the  young,  communicative  and  respectful  to  the 
aged,  and  agreeable  to  all  with  whom  he  was  called 
to  associate.  He  was,  indeed,  of  that  sanguine 
temperament  which,  with  a  cultivated  intellect  and 
a  kind  heart,  never  fails  to  produce  the  highest  style 
of  companionship. 

I  said  he  was  always  cheerful.  When  I  come  to 
speak  of  him  as  a  Christian,  I  shall  have  occasion  to 
remark,  that  there  was  another  element  of  character, 
mingled  with  this,  which  produced  in  him  that 
equanimity  and  complacency  which  are  the  peculiar 
fruits  of  sanctified  cheerfulness.  But  I  subjoin 
here,  that  cheerfulness  in  him  as  a  natural  quality, 
was  of  a  much  higher  cast  than  that  which  falls 
to   the   ordinary  lot  even   of   well-ordered   minds. 


238  REMINISCENCES    OF   DR.   CODMAN. 

There  was  an  ingredient  in  his  constitutional  tem- 
perament which  gave  him  a  peculiar  fondness  for 
social  life,  and  often  elevated  his  cheerfulness  to 
exhilaration  of  spirits,  and  set  him  free  from  the 
restraints  of  dull  formality.  He  was  indeed  truly 
courteous,  and,  in  the  best  sense  of  the  term, 
polite.  He  was  always  happy  in  his  manner  of 
meeting  and  entertaining  his  visitors  and  guests, 
precise  and  courtly  in  giving  or  receiving  introduc- 
tion to  strangers,  as  well  as  easy  in  all  his  inter- 
course with  his  friends ;  never,  in  these  respects, 
transgressing  the  most  rigid  rules  of  conventional 
decorum.  Brought  up,  from  childhood,  in  polished 
society,  improved  by  foreign  travel  and  intercourse 
with  some  of  the  most  refined  portions  of  the  most 
civilized  nations  in  the  world,  possessing  a  quick 
discernment  of  fitness  and  propriety,  and  thus  being 
able  to  render  all  these  external  advantages  sub- 
servient to  an  original  tact,  the  want  of  which  no 
education  can  supply,  he  was  everywhere  accounted 
a  gentleman ;  and  he  seldom,  if  ever,  made  a 
mistake  in  the  freest  and  most  unrestrained  con- 
versation, or  a  false  movement,  even  in  mixed 
company,  so  as  to  try  the  feelings  of  the  most 
delicate  and  refined,  or  give  offence  to  the  most 
fastidious.     Still  he  seemed  always  to  be  free  from 


REMINISCENCES   OF   DR.   CODMAN.  239 

restraint  in  his  social  intercourse ;  and  his  cheer- 
fulness was  often  relaxed  into  playfulness,  and 
sometimes  into  hearty  laughter. 

He  was  fond  of  wit,  and  even  of  delicate  and 
well-timed  sarcasm.  He  could  enjoy  the  one  and 
smile  at  the  other,  though  their  shafts  were  suc- 
cessfully aimed  at  his  own  head.  I  am  persuaded, 
that  his  buoyancy  of  spirit  and  cheerfulness  of 
temper,  which  he  often  indulged  to  a  high  degree 
of  exhilaration,  added  very  much  to  his  health 
and  personal  enjoyment,  to  his  attractiveness  as  a 
companion,  and  to  his  influence  and  usefulness  in 
society.  John  Locke  long  ago  made  the  remark, 
that  "  man  is  the  only  laughing  animal  on  the 
earth;"  and  he  seems  to  have  made  it  not  only 
with  a  view  of  distinguishing  man  from  the  lower 
animals,  but  for  the  purpose  of  showing  his  eleva- 
tion in  the  scale  of  being.  Indeed,  without  a  fair 
proportion  of  this  element  in  his  nature,  and  a  due 
cultivation  and  proper  exercise  of  it  in  social  life, 
no  man  can  be  a  pleasant  companion,  or  a  very 
attractive  and  useful  member  of  society.  A  high 
degree  of  cheerfulness,  such  as  Dr.  Codman  pos- 
sessed, duly  regulated  and  properly  indulged,  as 
to  time,  place  and  circumstance,  always  free  from 
gross  and  vulgar  hilarity,  is  certainly  a  gift  of  no 


240  REMINISCENCES   OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

ordinary  value.  Where  it  exists,  it  exerts  a  salu- 
tary and  elevating  influence  on  every  other  element 
of  character,  which  qualifies  man  for  personal  en- 
joyment and  pleasant  companionship. 

Another  natural  quality  or  element  of  Dr.  Cod- 
man's  character,  which  occurs  to  my  mind,  and 
which  was  fully  developed  and  eminently  prominent, 
in  the  time  of  his  severe  trials,  was  the  harmonious 
combination  of  the  two  qualities  denoted  by  the 
terms  fortitude  and  courage.  He  was  prompt  to 
decide,  and  bold  to  execute  what  he  undertook  ; 
but  there  was  no  rashness  in  his  courage.  He 
was  firm  and  steadfast  in  purpose,  pursuing  his 
prescribed  course  with  untiring  perseverance  and 
indomitable  patience.  Yet  there  was  nothing  like 
obstinacy  in  his  fortitude.  This  combination  of 
courage  and  fortitude,  viewed  as  one  complex  quality 
of  mind,  was  in  him  unquestionably  modified  and 
controlled  by  religious  principle.  But  I  speak  of  it 
here,  as  a  natural  quality,  which  would  have  given 
him  distinction  among  men  of  the  world,  even  if 
it  had  not  been  sanctified  by  divine  grace. 

Had  he  been  called  to  command  a  ship,  and  had 
that  ship  been  brought  into  collision  with  another, 
and  ready  to  sink  amid  the  raging  waves  and  thick 
darkness  of  a  stormy  night,   it   would    have    kept 


REMINISCENCES    OF  DR.   CODMAN.         241 

him  in  a  state  of  composure  and  perfect  self-con- 
trol, with  promptitude  and  energy,  devising  and 
employing  the  fittest  means  to  save  the  vessel  and 
her  crew^.  If  he  had  been  called  to  fight  his  coun- 
try's battles,  it  w^ould  have  sustained  him  in  the 
hour  of  danger,  and  led  him,  undismayed,  '  even  to 
the  cannon's  mouth.'  For  his  v^^as  that  natural, 
or,  as  sometimes  denominated,  moral  courage, 
which,  combining  with  it  innate  fortitude,  never 
allows  the  nerves  to  tremble,  or  the  muscles  to  be 
relaxed,  or  the  purpose,  once  formed,  to  fail  through 
timid  inaction. 

Had  he  not  possessed  this  high  quality,  sanctified 
as  it  was  in  him  by  divine  grace,  he  never  could 
have  sustained  the  shock  and  endured  the  trials 
which  came  upon  him  in  the  early  part  of  his 
ministry ;  nor  w^ould  he  have  dared  to  take  the 
course  which  he  did,  or  have  been  able  to  pursue 
it,  as  he  did,  to  the  accomplishment  of  his  purpose, 
amid  the  threats  and  reproaches  of  enemies  on  the 
one  hand,  and  the  timid  counsels  of  not  a  few  of 
his  friends,  on  the  other.  But  while  he  did  not 
despise  the  latter,  nor  disregard  the  former,  his 
courage  and  fortitude  enabled  him  to  remain  steadr 
fast  in  his  deliberately  formed  purpose,  and  constant 
in  pursuing  the  course   which  h^  had  carefully  prer 


242  REMINISCENCES    OF   DR.   CODMAN. 

scribed  for  himself.  To  me,  he  seemed  never  to 
waver  in  mind  or  relax  his  energy  of  active  pur- 
suit, from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  the  mighty 
struggle.  And  though  he  did  not  adopt  the  precise 
language  of  John  Foster,  because  it  savors  too 
much  of  a  spirit  of  boasting,  jet  his  conduct  an- 
swered to  the  description  which  that  eminent 
writer  gives  of  a  man  of  decision  and  strength  of 
character,  where  he  says  :  "  Without  harshness  or 
violence,  he  will  continue  every  moment  to  effect 
some  part  of  his  design,  coolly  replying  to  each 
ungracious  look  and  indignant  voice,  '  I  am  sorry 
to  oppose  you.  I  am  not  unfriendly  to  you,  while 
thus  persisting  in  what  excites  your  di  pleasure. 
It  would  please  me  to  have  your  approbation  and 
concurrence  ;  and  I  think  I  should  have  them,  if 
you  would  seriously  consider  my  reasons.  But, 
meanwhile,  I  am  superior  to  opinion ;  I  am  not  to 
be  intimidated  by  reproaches,  nor  would  your  favor 
and  applause  be  any  reward  for  the  sacrifice  of  my 
object.  It  is  enough  for  me,  that  I  stand  approved 
to  my  own  conscience,  in  the  sight  of  Heaven.  It 
is  enough  that  I  can  appeal,  with  confidence,  to  the 
highest  authority  in  the  universe  ! '  " 

Thus   am    I    brought   to   the   notice    of  another 
natural    quality    possessed    by    Dr.    Codman,  —  a 


REMINISCENCES   OF   DR.   CODMAN.  243 

quality  which  may  seem,  to  some,  almost  incon- 
sistent with  the  one  last  named,  —  I  mean  that  of 
strong  sympathy  with  the  afflicted^  and  tender 
compassion  for  the  suffering.  Though  a  stern 
advocate  for  justice,  always  firm  to  his  purpose, 
and  even  rigid  in  self-government,  '  he  could  feel 
for  others'  woe ; '  and  he  was  prompt  to  act, 
wherever  his  arm  could  reach  the  distressed,  or 
his  voice  be  heard  by  the  afflicted.  This  natural 
quality  was  indeed  in  him,  like  the  others  already 
named,  a  sanctified  feeling  ;  and,  in  most  of  its 
manifestations,  it  was  intimately  connected  and 
inseparably  blended  with  religious  principle,  thus 
constituting  Christian  charity.  Still,  however, 
there  was  in  him  a  natural  and  original  sensibility 
of  a  high  order  ;  which,  being  sanctified  by  divine 
grace,  gave  activity  and  energy  to  the  principles 
of  Christian  benevolence.  Indeed,  all  his  benevo- 
lent acts  were  modified  and  regulated  by  Christian 
principle.  He  never  gave  alms  from  impulse,  nor 
from  motives  of  ostentation  ;  but  always  by  rule, 
and  in  the  best  manner  to  secure  the  proper  end 
of  giving.  This  trait,  however,  properly  belongs 
to  his  Christian  character.  I  shall,  therefore,  defer 
the  particular  remarks  which  I  have  to  make  on 
it,  till  I  come  to  the  notice  of  him  as  a  Christian. 


244         REMINISCENCES   OF  DR.   CODMAN. 

But  there  is  one  branch  of  his  Christian  character, 
so  dependent  on  original  sympathy  and  high  social 
qualities,  as  to  deserve  a  passing  notice  in  this 
connection.  I  mean  his  hospitality,  his  abounding 
hospitality  to  his  brethren  in  the  ministry.  His 
ample  patrimony  and  his  favorable  position  enabled 
him  to  exercise  this  office  of  a  Christian  bishop, 
more  frequently  and  more  largely,  than  probably 
ever  fell  to  the  lot  of  any  other  minister  in  New 
England.  And  he  did  exercise  it  in  the  highest 
and  best  style  of  Christian  hospitality.  Ministers 
of  the  gospel  from  all  parts  of  our  own  country, 
clergymen  from  foreign  lands,  and  missionaries  of 
the  cross  from  the  ends  of  the  earth,  visited  his 
hospitable  mansion ;  and  were  always  cordially 
received  and  generously  entertained.  Indeed,  as 
has  been  said  in  another  case,  '  Hospitality  stood 
at  his  door;'  and,  it  may  be  added,  beckoned  to 
the  passing  pilgrim,  and  especially  to  the  heralds 
of  salvation,  to  come  in,  to  sup  and  lodge ;  ^  to 
bless  and  be  blessed.' 

One  other  original  quality,  I  may  add,  he  pos- 
sessed in  an  eminent  degree  ;  a  natural  frankness 
which,  united  with  Christian  principle,  forbade  all 
deception  and  duplicity.  And  even  without  that 
sanctifying  influence,  it  would   have   been  difficult 


REMINISCENCES   OF  DR.  CODMAN.  245 

for  him  to  practice  the  deceiver's  art.  So  open 
and  frank  was  he,  in  declaring  his  religious  senti- 
ments before  his  settlement  in  Dorchester,  that 
some  have  supposed  this  uncalled-for  disclosure  was 
one  exciting  cause  of  the  opposition  with  which 
he  had  to  contend  ;  that  it  awakened  a  jealousy 
in  the  enemies  of  the  truth,  and  caused  them  to 
put  the  most  unfavorable  construction  on  the 
language  of  rebuke  which  subsequently  fell  from 
his  lips.  But  however  this  may  have  been,  it 
certainly  gave  him  an  enviable  advantage  in  the 
contest.  For  an  appeal  to  the  fact  of  this  frank 
and  full  disclosure,  enabled  him  to  meet  his  revilers 
with  boldness,  to  confound  them  in  the  presence 
of  their  sympathizing  friends,  to  refute  their  un- 
founded charges  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  all 
unbiassed  minds  ;  and  lead  a  council,  divided  in 
religious  opinions,  to  agree  in  acquitting  him  of 
every  charge  implying  duplicity  or  moral  wrong. 
I  remember  how  his  opposers  quailed,  when  the 
argument  in  vindication  of  his  course,  founded 
on  this  fact,  was  triumphantly  placed  before  the 
council,  and  its  force  admitted  by  their  own  prin- 
cipal advocate ;  when  that  candid  advocate  said,  in 
substance,  "  All  these  complaints  and  charges  can 
be  disposed  of  in  five  minutes,  if  he  will  now  yield 


246  REMINISCENCES    OF   DR.   CODMAN. 

the  point  with  regard  to  exchanges ;  if  he  will 
agree  to  exchange  henceforth  with  all  the  ministers 
of  the  Boston  Association,  indiscriminately."  Yes, 
frankness  in  him  was  a  natural  quality  ;  and,  being 
sanctified  by  divine  grace,  it  became  a  brilliant  and 
glorious  virtue  ;  a  virtue,  rendered  more  brilliant 
by  the  trials  through  which  he  was  called  to  pass  ; 
as  a  precious  stone  shines  the  brighter,  the  more 
severe  the  friction  to  which  it  is  subjected. 


INTELLECTUAL    QUALITIES    AND    LITERARY   ATTAINMENTS. 

In  speaking  of  Dr.  Codman  as  a  scholar,  I  may 
without  impropriety  repeat  the  remark,  made  con- 
cerning him  as  an  undergraduate,  and  say  that 
he  held,  in  this  respect,  among  his  brethren  in 
the  ministry,  as  among  his  classmates  in  college, 
a  highly  respectable  rank.  In  mere  secular  litera- 
ture, ancient  or  modern.  Dr.  Codman  never  sought 
distinction.  Though  he  possessed  one  of  the 
best  private  libraries  in  the  country,  it  consisted 
principally  of  books  on  theology.  Besides,  his 
multiplied  cares  and  trials,  which  came  upon  him 
soon  after  his  settlement  in  the  ministry,  together 


REMINISCENCES    OF   DR.   CODMAN.  247 

with  his  weekly  parochial  duties  and  direct  prepa- 
rations for  the  pulpit,  left  him  very  little  time  for 
general  reading  and  mere  literary  and  scientific 
pursuits.  Nor  had  he  much  more  leisure  for 
these  purposes,  after  his  parochial  trials  were 
over.  For  these  very  trials,  patiently  endured  and 
happily  terminated,  had  given  him  notoriety,  and 
secured  to  him  a  reputation  for  wisdom  and  con- 
sistency of  character,  and  thus  thrown  upon  him 
an  unusual  portion  of  the  care  of  the  surrounding 
churches.  Such,  too,  was  his  local  situation  and 
domestic  establishment,  with  his  ample  fortune  and 
kind  social  disposition,  as  to  bring  to  his  home 
visitors  in  great  numbers  ;  and  thus  many  of  his 
appropriated  hours  for  study  were  interrupted. 
These  causes,  too,  operated  to  call  him  often  from 
home,  as  a  member  of  ecclesiastical  councils,  or 
as  an  active  associate  in  most  of  the  prominent 
benevolent  societies  in  our  country.  But,  with  all 
these  interruptions  and  hinderances,  his  acquisitions 
of  knowledge  were  highly  respectable  ;  at  least,  of 
that  knowledge  which  had  a  direct  bearing  on  his 
profession,  or  which  could  be  rendered  subservient 
to  the  great  business  of  a  minister's  life. 

He  acquired   knowledge   with  great  facility,  re- 
tained it  with  great  tenacity,  and  was  able  to  adapt 


248  REMINISCENCES   OF  DR.   CODMAN. 

and  apply  it  to  useful  purposes  with  great  skill  and 
efficiency.  All  his  perceptive  powers  were  strong 
and  active  ;  so  that  wherever  he  was,  in  company 
or  alone,  at  home  or  traveling  abroad,  he  found 
himself  at  school,  learning  something  for  future 
use,  making  observations  and  acquiring  useful 
knowledge.  This  was  true  of  him,  with  regard 
to  all  practical  subjects.  But  it  was  peculiarly 
evident,  with  reference  to  practical  and  experi- 
mental religion.  He  possessed  a  knowledge  of 
spiritual  things,  ready,  definite  and  precise,  which 
can  be  accounted  for  only  on  the  principle  that 
"  spiritual  things  are  spiritually  discerned."  Of 
these  he  seemed,  to  those  who  heard  him  preach, 
— as  a  discriminating  lady  once  said  to  me, — to 
know  more  than  others  who  possessed  equal  means 
and  equally  favorable  opportunities  for  acquisition ; 
certainly  more  than  most  of  his  best-instructed 
brethren.  At  least,  his  Christian  knowledge,  being 
added  to  a  strong  faith,  partook  largely  of  the  nature 
of  that  knowledge  which  is  experimental ;  which 
is  felt  in  the  heart,  as  well  as  seen  in  the  under- 
standing ;  and  thus,  when  imparted,  warming  the 
souls  of  others  into  spiritual  life,  while  shedding 
light  upon  their  path  to  heaven. 

Dr.  Codman  possessed  great  versatility  of  intel- 


REMINISCENCES   OF   DR.   CODMAN.  249 

lectual  capacity.  He  was  able  to  take  a  general 
view  of  all  subjects;  and  gather  something,  adapted 
to  his  purpose,  from  all  sources.  His  powers  of 
observation,  as  before  stated,  were  strong  and 
active ;  and  his  memory  was  ready  and  retentive. 
But  his  powers  of  discrimination  and  quick  dis- 
cernment were  peculiarly  noticeable.  He  seemed 
to  see  the  conclusion  in  a  logical  deduction,  with- 
out the  labor  or  delay  of  the  ordinary  process  of 
ratiocination.  Hence  he  was  noted  for  what  has 
been  called  common  sense — that  is,  rapid  reason- 
ing, or  judging  correctly  with  little  effort  of  com- 
parison. He  rarely  made  a  mistake  in  his  moral 
judgment,  even  where  his  opinion  was  necessarily 
formed  without  much  deliberation.  There  was 
something  in  this  rapid  action  of  his  mind,  like 
instinct  or  intuition  ;  and  I  might,  perhaps,  ascribe 
the  result  to  an  original  and  delicate  taste.  In  some 
modern  analyses  of  mind,  this  faculty  has  been 
denominated  aesthetic,  or  that  instinctive  power 
which  discovers  at  once  those  relations  of  fitness 
and  adaptation  on  which  the  pleasant  emotions  of 
beauty  depend,  without  regard  to  their  truth  or 
moral  excellence ;  —  by  which  men  discover  the 
beautiful  and  agreeable  in  form,  color,  sound, 
and  motion,    without  any  direct   regard    to   moral 

32 


250  BEMINISCENCES   OF   DR.  CODMAN. 

qualities — to  truth  or  error,  right  or  wrong.  To 
me,  however,  the  term  taste  seems  to  express  the 
whole  idea,  in  the  most  definite  manner.  Indeed, 
there  was  no  quality  of  his  mind  more  prominent 
than  that  of  taste,  in  the  largest  and  best  sense 
of  the  term.  He  possessed  a  good  degree  of  poetic 
imagination.  But  his  taste  forjudging  the  works  of 
imagination  far  outstripped  his  genius  for  their  exe- 
cution. Of  the  best  poets  in  the  English  language 
he  was  peculiarly  fond ;  and  he  could  point  out 
their  faults,  as  well  as  their  excellences,  apparently 
without  the  labor  of  criticism  ;  certainly  without 
the  necessity  of  applying  the  technical  rules  of 
the  rhetorician  and  professional  critic. 


DR.  cod:man's  christian  character  and  spiritual  attainments. 

To  exhibit  Dr.  Codman  as  a  Christian  and  a 
man  of  deep  and  eminent  piety,  it  is  scarcely 
necessary  for  me  to  add  anything  to  what  has 
been  made  apparent  in  the  records  of  the  pre- 
ceding reminiscences.  His  natural  qualities, —  his 
intellectual  and  moral  powers,  with  his  distinguished 
social  accomplishments,  —  were  all  modified  by  the 
grace   of    God ;    and,    by    prayer   and    meditation, 


REMINISCENCES   OF   DE.  CODMAN.  251 

brought  under  the  control  of  a  steady  regard  to 
the  glory  of  God. 

Of  his  habits  of  devotion,  as  secret  and  hidden 
exercises  of  the  soul,  I  cannot  speak.  Nor  can 
any  one  with  propriety  do  it,  without  recurring  to 
the  records  of  his  experience  made  by  his  own 
hand  ;  and  such  a  delicate  task  belongs  only  to  a 
confidential  biographer.  It  is  no  part  of  the  office 
of  one  who  writes  merely  from  his  own  memory 
and  personal  observations,  and  records  his  own 
reminiscences,  his  recollections,  as  they  exist  in  his 
own  mind,  and  are  formed  from  materials  furnished 
by  his  own  previous  observations. 

Dr.  Codman,  I  can  truly  remark,  however,  as  I 
had  occasion  to  know,  was  "  a  man  of  prayer  "  — 
habitual,  fervent,  persevering  prayer.  Though  of 
his  closet  devotion  I  cannot  speak,  yet  of  those 
of  the  family  and  the  pulpit  I  might  say  much. 
For  I  had  opportunity,  both  in  my  own  family  and 
in  his,  in  my  own  pulpit  and  in  others,  to  unite 
with  him  while  he  conducted  the  services  of  social 
worship,  and  to  observe  their  simplicity,  directness, 
humble  confidence  and  fervor  of  spirit.  In  these 
respects,  his  devotional  exercises  were  always 
distinguishable  from  those  formal,  cold,  preaching 
prayers,    which   too   often,   in    the  place  of  social 


252  REMINISCENCES   OE   DR.   CODMAN. 

worship,  fall  like  lead  upon  the  ear  of  man  ;  while, 
as  we  have  reason  to  fear,  thej  never  reach,  and 
were  never  designed  to  reach,  the  ear  of  the 
Almighty ;  —  from  those  prayers,  which  are  evi- 
dently studied  to  please  men,  and  are  sometimes 
spoken  of  as  eloquent  prayers  —  which  are  not 
offered,  even,  with  the  expectation  of  pleasing 
God,  drawing  down  the  blessing  of  Heaven,  and 
procuring  a  spiritual  ''  refreshing  from  the  presence 
of  the  Lord."  Such  as  these,  were  not  the  social 
prayers  offered  by  Dr.  Codman.  He  was  always 
serious  in  his  devotional  exercises,  humble  in 
confession,  direct  and  earnest  in  petition,  devout 
and  full  of  expressive  emotion  in  strains  of  adoration 
and  thanksgiving ;  and  thus  he  carried  along  with 
him  the  pious  sympathies  and  holy  aspirations  of 
every  pious  soul  within  the  sound  of  his  voice. 

But  in  these  remarks,  I  perceive  that  I  am  only 
expressing  my  own  views,  according  to  my  own 
taste  ;  and  giving  nothing  more  than  my  own  im- 
pressions on  the  subject  of  Dr.  Codman's  personal 
piety  and  the  character  of  his  devotional  perform- 
ances. Of  course,  such  statements  cannot  furnish 
conclusive  evidence  to  those  who  never  had  the 
privilege  of  uniting  with  him  in  acts  of  social 
worship,  and  the  opportunity  of  judging  for  them- 


REMINISCENCES    OF   DR.    CODMAN.  253 

selves.  There  is,  however,  one  view  of  the  subject, 
as  it  fell  within  my  observation,  which  may  give 
strength  to  the  evidence  of  simple  testimony,  and 
enable  those,  who  never  saw  or  heard  him,  to  judge 
for  themselves ;  provided  only,  that  they  have  some 
analogous  experience,  connected  with  a  delicate 
taste  in  spiritual  things.  I  allude  to  the  ease  with 
which  he  referred  all  events,  as  they  occurred,  to 
the  providence  of  God,  and  the  readiness  with 
which  his  mind  was  brought  into  a  state  of  elevated 
devotion.  This  general  fact  was  so  obvious,  as 
to  be  observed  by  all  who  knew  him  ;  and  to  its 
truth  a  multitude  of  witnesses,  still  living,  might 
be  called  to  testify.  He  seems  to  have  had  the 
fear  of  God  so  constantly  before  his  eyes,  and  the 
love  of  God  so  largely  shed  abroad  in  his  heart, 
as  never  to  have  been  unprepared  to  enter  into 
the  holy  exercises  of  devotion,  with  his  whole 
soul.  Not  with  more  readiness  and  certainty 
does  the  naturalist  trace  a  newly  discovered  stream 
to  its  source,  than  he  referred  every  blessing  to 
the  Source  of  all  good,  and  every  event  to  the 
providence  of  God. 

I  recollect  an  incident,  which  happily  exhibits 
and  beautifully  illustrates  this  tendency  of  his  mind. 
Or  rather,  I  remember  his  account  of  it,  soon  after 


254  REMINISCENCES    OF   DR.   CODMAN. 

its  occurrence,  with  his  statement  of  the  feelings 
which  it  excited  in  his  bosom,  and  the  train  of 
thought  to  which  it  led  him.  During  the  height 
of  his  parochial  trials,  when  he  was  beset  with 
difficulties,  and  oppressed  with  anxiety  for  the 
result  of  the  contest  in  which  he  was  engaged, 
and  when  there  was  a  strong  apprehension  in  the 
minds  of  some  of  his  friends  that  he  would  be 
induced  to  retire  and  seek  repose  in  some  other 
field  of  labor, — one  afternoon,  as  he  sat  in  his  study, 
it  was  announced  to  him  that  a  large  company  of 
little  children,  in  order  of  procession,  were  slowly 
and  silently  approaching  his  house.  Not  knowing 
what  had  brought  them  there,  and  not  suspecting 
with  what  intent  they  had  come,  he  rose  and  hastily 
met  them  at  the  door,  and, — no  doubt  in  his  usual 
kind  and  happy  manner, — saluted  them.  But,  as 
he  stated  to  me,  he  was  surprised  and  completely 
overwhelmed  by  the  declaration  of  one  after  another, 
and  finally  all,  with  united  voice,  that  they  had  come 
to  entreat  their  dear  and  beloved  pastor  not  to  leave 
them,  the  lambs  of  the  flock,  and  their  afflicted 
parents,  as  sheep  without  a  shepherd.  Said  he,  as 
he  related  the  incident,  "  Though  I  at  once  sup- 
posed that  they  had  been  sent  by  their  parents,  I 
could  not  help  referring  the  whole  to  the  providence 


REMINISCENCES   OF   DR.   CODMAN.  255 

of  God."  "Nothing,"  he  added,  "could  have  ope- 
rated more  powerfully  to  cheer  my  drooping  spirits, 
and  animate  my  hopes  of  final  success,  than  this 
simple  incident.  I  thought  I  saw  the  hand  of  God 
in  it,  and  felt  encouraged  to  buckle  on  my  armor 
anew  for  the  contest.  I  remembered,"  continued 
he,  "  that  even  our  blessed  Saviour  expressed  his 
approbation  when  little  children  saluted  him,  with 
their  hosannas,  in  the  temple ;  and  silenced  the 
objections  of  unbelief  by  referring  the  objectors 
to  the  prophetic  language  of  the  Psalmist :  '  Out 
of  the  mouth  of  babes  and  sucklings  hast  thou 
ordained  strength,  because  of  thine  enemies.'  Yes, 
I  thought,  if  the  blessed  Saviour,  in  his  state  of 
humiliation  and  trials  on  earth,  was  pleased  with 
the  hosannas  of  little  children,  how  much  more 
should  his  humble  ministers  draw  instruction  from 
such  favorable  indications  of  Divine  Providence  as 
had  thus  been  exhibited  to  me;  —  if  the  Great 
Shepherd  was  pleased  when  little  children  came 
to  him,  and  even  when  in  the  arms  of  faith  they 
were  brought  to  him  for  a  blessing,  how  should 
his  under-shepherds  rejoice,  when  they  can  secure 
the  affection  and  confidence  of  the  children  and 
youth  of  their  parish  ;  and  how  should  they  take 
encouragement  to   labor  to   bring   these   lambs  of 


256  REMINISCENCES    OF   DR.   CODMAN. 

the  flock  into  the  fold  of  the  Great  Shepherd  and 
Bishop  of  souls !  Yes,  I  seemed  to  hear  him  say 
unto  me,  as  he  said  to  Simon  Peter :  '  Lovest  thou 
me  ? — Feed  my  sheep  ! — Feed  my  lambs  ! '  " 

This  habit  of  referring  all  events  and  occur- 
rences to  the  providence  of  God,  led  him  to  look 
to  the  Spirit  of  God  for  direction  and  support  in  all 
circumstances.  It  exerted  a  modifying  influence 
on  all  his  powers  and  faculties,  and  gave  direction 
to  all  his  propensities  and  pursuits. 

His  religion,  as  before  intimated,  modified  his 
natural  cheerfulness,  and  directed  his  exuberant 
flow  of  animal  spirits  ;  so  that  he  could  be  serious, 
while  cheerful ;  and  easily  glide  from  the  glee  of 
friendly  greetings  to  the  solemn  exercises  of  social 
worship  ;  and  without  any  forced  effort,  or  apparent 
constraint,  hold  sweet  converse  with  Christian 
friends  one  moment,  and  the  next  be  employed 
in  leading  the  devotional  exercises  of  the  pious, 
in  high  and  holy  communion  with  the  Father,  and 
the  Son,  under  the  evident  influences  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  Though  this  remark  may,  in  a  measure,  be 
true  of  all  eminently  pious  men,  it  was  certainly 
applicable  to  him,  in  a  high  degree  and  peculiar 
sense.  There  was  in  his  social  conversation  and 
devotional  exercises,  a  peculiar  appropriateness   to 


REMINISCENCES   OF  DR.  CODMAN.  257 

time,  place,  and  circumstances  —  a  striking  fitness 
and  precise  adaptation,  resulting  from  natural  taste, 
sanctified  by  divine  grace. 

His  natural  courage  and  innate  fortitude  were 
likewise  modified  and  regulated  by  the  same 
purifying  and  controlling  influence.  His  fixed 
religious  principles  prevented  his  courage  from 
running  into  rashness,  and  his  fortitude  from  sink- 
ing into  obstinacy.  Thus,  where  duty  called,  no 
obstruction  could  shake  his  resolution,  or  turn  him 
from  his  determined  course.  But,  where  expe- 
diency only  was  involved,  "a  little  child  might  lead 
him." 

So  too  his  compassion,  and  all  the  tender  sympa- 
thies of  his  nature,  took  their  cast  from  his  religion, 
and  were  sanctified  and  directed  by  its  principles. 
His  benevolence  was  truly  a  Christian  benevolence. 
Though  he  had  the  means  of  doing  much  in  the 
cause  of  benevolence,  and  actually  did  much,  yet 
he  never  did  it  from  motives  of  ostentation,  or 
under  the  influence  of  excited  feeling.  What  he 
gave,  was  given  after  due  deliberation.  He  divided 
his  charities  among  individual  objects  and  benevo- 
lent associations,  after  strict  inquiry  concerning 
their  comparative  merits  and  importance ;  and  thus, 
while    he  gave    much   and   frequently,    he   always 

33 


258  REMINISCENCES   OE  DR.   CODMAN. 

gave  according  to  his  own  carefully  formed  and 
discriminating  judgment.  His  benevolence  w^as 
far  removed  from  that  profuse  and  indiscriminate 
liberality,  which  always  sounds  a  trumpet  before 
it,  that  it  may  attract  the  notice  and  secure  the 
applause  of  the  world  ;  while  it  fails  to  obtain  the 
approbation  of  God,  and  often  accomplishes  but 
little  for  the  relief  and  benefit  of  suffering  humanity. 
Thus  he  distributed  his  bounties,  especially  for  the 
purposes  of  diffusing  the  know^ledge  of  salvation 
and  promoting  the  conversion  of  the  world,  with  a 
liberal  but  judicious  hand.  For,  in  the  language 
of  the  sermon  preached  by  Dr.  Storrs  at  his  funeral, 
we  may  ask,  ''What  enterprise  of  benevolence  has 
ever  urged  a  just  claim  on  the  advocacy  and  pecu- 
niary support  of  the  church,  that  met  not  with  a 
cordial  response  from  him  ?  What  association  of 
unquestionable  character  enrolls  not  his  name  among 
Its  benefactors  and  its  elected  or  honorary  officers?" 
Yes,  he  gave  much,  "  cheerfully  and  of  a  willing 
mind."  While  he  rejected  many  imposing  claims, 
and  was  thought  by  some,  who  knew  not  his 
motives  and  principles  of  action,  to  be  too  cautious 
on  the  subject^  he  readily  and*  cheerfully  aided, 
according  to  his  views  of  their  importance,  all 
those   objects   of    benevolence    which    commended 


REMINISCENCES   OF    DR.   CODMAN.  259 

themselves  to  his  deliberate  judgment.  He  once 
said  to  me,  *'  that  it  was  one  of  the  most  difficult 
questions  of  duty  which  he  had  to  decide,  when 
to  give,  and  when  to  withhold  his  hand  from 
giving,  —  when  he  should  bestow  unsolicited,  and 
when  he  should  refuse  to  grant  the  requests  even 
of  the  most  importunate  applicant  for  charity." 
Indeed,  I  had  opportunity  to  know  that  he  often 
gave,  unasked.  More  than  one  instance  of  this 
Christian  "  forwardness "  fell  within  my  own 
observation.  One  case  I  may  mention,  without 
impropriety.  Once,  when  engaged  in  soliciting  aid 
for  a  public  and  well  known  cause  of  benevolence, 
I  met  him  in  the  streets  of  Boston  ;  and  before 
I  had  presented  the  claim  to  him,  or  made  the 
request,  he  kindly  anticipated  the  application  by 
proffering  a  generous  donation.  To  give  unasked, 
I  believe,  was  his  general  practice ;  where  he  had 
a  full  knowledge  of  the  case.  For  he  remembered 
that  "  the  Lord  loveth  a  cheerful  giver ;  "  and  he 
loved  to  act  under  the  influence  of  this  high  and 
holy  principle. 

Thus  all  his  natural  qualities  and  social  sympa- 
thies, being  sanctified  by  divine  grace,  and  brought 
under  the  control  of  Christian  principle,  produced 
a    highly    finished    moral,    social,    and    Christian 


260  REMINISCENCES    OF   DR.   CODMAN. 

character  —  a  character  of  great  symmetry  and 
beauty,  exhibiting  an  example  worthy  of  imitation 
in  all  the  relations  of  life. 


MIXISTEKIAL   CHARACTEE,  AS    A    PEEACHEE    AND    A    PASTOR. 

The  various  qualities  of  heart  and  intellect 
combined,  which  I  have  ascribed  to  Dr.  Codman, 
constituted  him,  under  the  special  call  and  dis- 
tinguishing grace  of  God,  *'  a  good  minister  of 
Jesus  Christ." 

As  a  preacher  he  was  solemn,  impressive,  and, 
where  prejudice  had  not  been  awakened,  attractive 
to  all  classes  of  people  ;  and  always  and  everywhere 
popular  with  those  who  concurred  with  him  in 
theological  sentiment.  This  fact  of  his  general 
popularity  arose,  partly  from  his  manner  of  writing 
—  from  the  style  of  his  composition  and  the 
character  of  his  sermons ;  and  partly  from  his 
manner  of  delivery  —  his  pulpit  eloquence. 

His  style  was  simple,  neat,  and  perspicuous. 
There  was  no  affectation  about  it,  and  no  appear- 
ance of  labored  effort  to  embellish  it,  and  crowd 
it  with  ornament.     What  he  had  to  say,  he  said  in 


REMINISCENCES  OF  DR.  CODMAN.  261 

plain  Saxon  words,  with  little  transposition  and 
great  directness.  Yet,  even  in  his  most  hasty 
compositions,  there  was  no  want  of  ornament,  nor, 
for  purposes  of  illustration  and  impression,  any 
deficiency  of  allusion  to  the  analogies  of  nature 
and  art.  He  generally  wrote  rapidly,  for  his  ser- 
mons were  usually  written  at  large ;  and  amidst 
his  multiplied  cares  and  pressing  calls  of  duty,  he 
had  but  a  short  period  allowed  him  for  his  direct 
preparations  for  the  pulpit.  Hence  simplicity  of 
thought,  natural  arrangement  of  words,  with  an  easy 
and  unconstrained  introduction  of  apt  illustrations, 
gave  his  style  much  of  its  beauty  and  attractive- 
ness. But  more  of  its  excellency  depended  on 
that  instinctive  taste,  which  was  so  prominent 
among  the  natural  characteristics  of  his  mind. 
This  enabled  him  to  give  a  peculiar  appropriate- 
ness to  his  discourses,  and  impart  a  directness  to 
their  applications,  always  suited  to  the  occasion, 
and  sometimes  giving  them  great  force  and  pun- 
gency. 

His  delivery,  too,  corresponded  perfectly  with 
the  character  of  the  style  in  which  his  discourses 
were  written.  That,  likewise,  was  simple  and 
peculiarly  natural.  He  used  much  gesture ;  but 
it  was  always    easy,  and  adapted    to    the    subject 


262  REMINISCENCES   OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

and  the  occasion.  It  never  appeared  studied  or 
constrained  ;  but  always  seemed  to  grow  out  of 
his  subject,  and  to  be  prompted  by  the  emotions 
of  his  own  soul. 

He  rarely  spoke  extemporaneously  in  the  pulpit ; 
and  yet  his  manner  very  nearly  resembled  that  of 
the  most  gifted  extemporaneous  speakers.  When 
he  first  returned  from  Scotland,  he  preached  alto- 
gether memoriter.  But  it  was  perceived  by  a  friend 
and  hinted  to  him,  indeed  he  soon  discovered 
himself,  that  the  effort  of  recollection  often  damped 
the  ardor  of  his  feelings,  influenced  unfavorably 
the  modulation  of  his  voice,  and  diminished  the 
animation  and  impressiveness  of  his  utterance. 
He  accordingly  discontinued  the  practice  of  com- 
mitting his  discourses  to  memory ;  and  henceforth 
depended  on  spontaneous  recollection,  with  an 
occasional  glance  of  the  eye  on  his  fully-written 
manuscript. 

Thus  his  style  of  writing  and  happy  manner  of 
delivering  his  discourses,  rendered  his  preaching 
attractive  and  impressive.  There  was,  however, 
one  quality  of  his  preaching,  connected  both  with 
the  style  of  his  writing  and  the  manner  of  his 
speaking,  which  I  hardly  know  how  to  describe — 
a   quality,    without   which   all    preaching   is    cold. 


REMINISCENCES    OF    DR.    CODMAN.  263 

formal,  and  comparatively  inefficient  —  a  quality, 
indeed,  or  rather  a  gift  bestowed,  in  measure,  on 
all  good  preachers  of  the  word  of  God  ;  but  on 
him  in  an  eminent  degree,  I  mean  that  power 
which  enables  the  preacher  "  to  hide  himself  be- 
hind his  subject,"  and  bring  the  souls  of  his  hearers 
into  a  condition  to  sympathize  with  his  own  soul, 
and  into  communion  with  Him  who  is  the  end 
of  the  law  and  the  substance  of  the  gospel  which 
he  preaches; — that  power,  exhibited  both  in  writ- 
ing and  speaking  on  the  great  themes  of  Chris- 
tianity, which  compels  the  hearers  to  feel  that  the 
preacher  is  "  serious  in  a  serious  cause  " — that  he 
believes  what  he  says,  loves  what  he  believes, 
and  feels  experimentally  and  obeys  practically, 
what  he  thus  loves,  believes  and  commends  to 
others;  —  that  power  which  shows  the  preacher's 
inmost  thoughts  and  deepest  emotions,  and  gives 
him  a  mysterious  control  over  the  thoughts  and 
emotions  of  his  hearers  —  which  brings  out  his 
w^hole  soul,  absorbed  in  his  holy  subject,  and 
absorbing,  with  it,  all  kindred  souls.  This  quality, 
whatever  called,  this  power,  however  obtained,  this 
"unction  from  the  Holy  One,"  Dr.  Codman  pos- 
sessed, as  it  seemed  to  me,  in  an  eminent  degree  ; 
and,  added  to  his  other  qualities,  it  made  him  an 


264  REMINISCENCES   OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

attractive  and  highly  acceptable  preacher  to  all  who 
loved  the  truth  that  he  preached.* 

The  other  branch  of  Dr.  Codman's  ministerial 
character,  his  character  as  a  pastor,  was  not,  in 
point  of  excellence,  behind  that  which  he  possessed 
as  a  teacher  of  the  law  of  God,  and  a  preacher  of 
the  gospel  of  Christ.  Among  the  people  of  his 
charge,  —  at  least  among  those  who  reciprocated 
his  kindness,  encouraged  his  familiarity,  and  finally 
adhered  to  his  parish, — he  was  a  familiar  friend,  a 
kind  father,  a  faithful  shepherd.  I  have  sometimes 
thought,  that,  if  three  or  four  of  the  leading  men 
of  the  opposition  in  his  parish  had  been  absent  from 
the  place  for  six  months  after  his  ordination ;  and  if 
the  parish  itself  had  been  isolated  and  kept  from 
surrounding  influences  during  the  same  period, 
his  kind  and  affectionate   manner  and  his  general 

*  It  was  this  quality  in  his  preaching,  which  was  probably  the 
means  of  building  up  his  society  so  soon  after  his  opponents  with- 
drew from  it.  The  same  thing,  unquestionably,  served  to  attract  to 
his  house  of  worship,  so  confctantly,  those  men  of  taste  and  piety, 
who  made  Dorchester  their  place  of  summer  residence.  I  remember 
a  remark  of  the  late  Daniel  Webster,  which  has  a  delicate  bearing 
on  this  point,  as  stated  to  me  by  Mr.  Codman,  soon  after :  "  Sir," 
said  he,  "  I  have  become  a  temporary  inhabitant  of  Dorchester  ,* 
and  while  I  reside  here,  I  wish  to  be  considered  as  your  parishioner ; 
and  in  one  respect  you  will  find  me  a  good  parishioner — always  in 
my  place  at  church  every  Sabbath — both  parts  of  the  day." 


REMINISCENCES   OF  DR.  CODMAN.  265 

deportment,  in  his  pastoral  visits,  would  have  won 
the  affections  and  secured  the  attachment  of  many 
of  those,  who  were  finally  drawn  into  the  opposition, 
so  that  they  could  never  have  been  led  astray  by 
all  the  arts  of  intrigue  and  allurement  which  might 
have  been  subsequently  practiced,  and  brought  to 
bear  upon  them.  But  however  that  might  have 
been,  those  persons  who  remained  in  connection 
Math  his  church,  as  well  as  those  who,  subsequently 
to  the  separation,  became  members  of  his  parish, 
manifested  peculiar  attachment  to  him,  as  their 
pastor  and  friend.  He  was,  indeed,  a  faithful  and 
affectionate  pastor ;  visiting  all  his  flock,  and  watch- 
ing over  them  in  love.  Especially  was  he  noted 
for  his  kindness  and  attention  to  the  poor  and 
afflicted,  to  whom  he  diligently  ministered,  both  in 
things  temporal  and  spiritual. 


AN    OBJECTION    TO    THE    CONSISTENCY    OF    DR.   CODMAN'S    MINISTERIAL 
INTERCOURSE,    ANSWERED. 

Thus  have  I  finished  the  notices,  which  I  pro- 
posed to  give,  of  the  prominent  traits  and  peculiar 
characteristics    of  mind,    as    observed    by   me,  in 

34 


266  REMINISCENCES    OF  DR.   CODMAN. 

Dr.  Codman ;  and,  especially,  as  displayed  by  him 
during  the  period  of  my  most  familiar  intercourse 
with  him.  I  should  now  close  the  record  with  a 
single  reflection  on  the  whole  scene  of  reminis- 
cences as  it  lies  together  before  my  memory ;  but 
an  apprehended  difficulty,  in  some  honest  and 
inquisitive  minds,  seems  to  demand  of  me  a  pass- 
ing remark,  by  way  of  explanation,  and  in  answer 
to  a  plausible  objection  sometimes  made  against  the 
consistency  of  Dr.  Codman's  ministerial  intercourse. 
It  has  been  asked,  "  with  what  propriety  he  could 
apply,  as  he  did,  to  Mr.  (afterwards  Dr.)  Channing 
to  preach  his  ordination  sermon.  If  he  could  not 
conscientiously  admit  a  Unitarian  into  his  pulpit, 
on  exchange,  why  did  he  introduce  a  leader  of  that 
denomination,  as  the  preacher  to  himself  and  his 
people,  on  an  occasion  so  solemn  as  that  of  his  own 
public  consecration  to  the  work  of  the  ministry  ?  " 
The  question  has  been  often  asked,  and  especially 
by  persons  residing  at  a  distance  from  the  scene, 
and  not  acquainted  with  the  history  of  the  rise  and 
progress  of  that  denomination  in  New  England. 

At  the  time  of  Dr.  Codman's  ordination,  there 
was  no  known  and  acknowledged  Unitarian  min- 
ister in  Boston,  or  its  vicinity,  except  Dr.  Freeman; 
and    he    was    not   a    Congregationalist,  but  a  lay- 


REMINISCENCES   OF    DR.   CODMAN.  267 

ordained  minister  of  a  society,  originally  connected 
with  the  English  Episcopal  church,  and  still  at  this 
day  retaining  the  modified  forms  and  liturgy  of  that 
church.  The  Congregational  churches  and  their 
ministers  were  none  of  them  publicly  known  to  be 
Unitarian ;  certainly  none  of  them  claimed  the 
name.  Mr.  Channing  was  then  a  young  man, 
recently  settled,  as  a  Congregational  minister,  over 
a  Congregational  society.  He  was,  too,  among  the 
most  serious  and  solemn  preachers  of  the  day. 
Whenever  he  appeared  in  the  pulpit,  ''  he  spoke 
like  a  dying  man  to  dying  men "  —  he  preached 
as  if  he  felt  a  deep  conviction  of  sin,  and  a  fearful 
apprehension  of  a  coming  judgment.  No  one  in 
all  that  region,  as  I  well  remember  —  for  I  often 
heard  him  at  the  "Thursday  lecture"  —  preached 
with  more  solemnity,  or  more  directness  of  applica- 
tion, on  the  guilt  of  sin,  the  depravity  of  human 
nature,  the  danger  of  impenitent  sinners,  the 
holiness  and  spirituality  of  the  divine  law,  the 
glories  of  the  divine  character,  and  the  riches  of 
redeeming  grace.  So  solemnly  and  tenderly  did 
he  preach  on  these  and  kindred  subjects,  and  so 
forcibly  and  pungently  did  he  apply  them  to  his 
hearers,  that  some  of  his  people,  it  was  said,  began 
to  be  alarmed  under  the  apprehension  that  he  would 


268  REMINISCENCES    OF    DR.   CODMAN. 

come  out,  as  they  expressed  their  fears,  "  a  rigid 
Hopkinsian."  Such,  indeed,  was  his  preaching, 
and  such  was  his  conversation,  that  the  most  serious 
portion  of  the  community  was  attracted  for  a  time 
to  his  church  and  his  study.  For  myself,  I  can 
truly  say,  (for  we  entered  upon  the  work  of  the 
ministry  nearly  at  the  same  time,)  that  there  was 
no  minister  in  the  vicinity  whom  I  more  loved 
to  hear,  or  with  whom  I  more  delighted  to  hold 
familiar  ministerial  intercourse.  Such  intercourse 
we  held  for  several  years,  with  confidence  and 
satisfaction  on  my  part,  and  apparently  on  his. 
This  intercourse  continued,  with  repeated  exchanges 
of  pulpits  and  friendly  discussions  in  our  studies, 
till,  as  I  had  occasion  to  observe,  the  general 
current  of  his  theological  views  was  changed. 
And  with  this  observed  change  of  his  sentiments, 
there  was  an  evident  modification  of  his  feelings, 
and  a  marked  falling  away  from  the  former  solemn 
style  and  manner  of  his  preaching. 

When  Mr.  Codman  invited  him  to  preach  at  his 
ordination,  Mr.  Channing  had  not  passed  under 
the  modifying  influence  of  "  the  new  philosophy." 
Indeed,  I  have  no  doubt  that  whoever  is  permitted 
to  read  his  manuscript  sermons,  written  in  the 
early  part  of  his  ministry,  will  find  them  differing 


REMINISCENCES  OF   DR.  CODMAN.  269 

essentially  from  those   discourses  which  constitute 
his  published  works. 

As  a  vindication  of  Mr.  Codman  against  the 
charge  of  inconsistency,  let  it  be  remembered, 
then,  that  his  ordination  took  place  before  the 
public  development  of  American  Unitarianism  — 
certainly  before  Dr.  Channing  was  thought  to  be 
inclined  to  that  theory  of  religion.  Indeed,  the 
Dorchester  ordination  sermon,  though  not  very 
discriminating  in  theological  sentiment,  is  full  of 
those  solemn  appeals  and  statements,  which  the 
author  never  would  have  made  after  he  had  been 
trained  in  the  school,  had  imbibed  the  spirit  and 
become  accustomed  to  the  language,  of  controversy 
—  after  he  had  exercised  all  his  powers  in  con- 
tending with  Stuart  and  Worcester  —  certainly  not, 
after  he  had  preached  his  noted  Baltimore  and 
New  York  sermons.* 


*  I  perceive  that  my  recollections  on  the  subject  of  this  change  in 
Dr.  Channing's  preaching,  and  the  development  of  American  Unita- 
rianism, perfectly  harmonizes  with  those  of  Samuel  Greely,  Esq.,  of 
Boston,  for  many  years  a  deacon  in  the  same  church,  of  which  Dr. 
Channing  was  pastor.  In  his  speech  before  the  Unitarian  Conven- 
tion, recently  held  in  Baltimore,  where  one  of  these  sermons  was 
preached  thirty-three  years  ago,  he  says,  referring  to  this  discourse  : 
"  It  was  the  earliest,  open  and  bold  avowal,  before  clergy  and  laity,  of 
the  distinctive  peculiarities  of  the  Unitarian  faith." 


270  REMINISCENCES   OF   DR.   CODMAN. 

It  has  been  said  that  Dr.  Channing's  mind, 
towards  the  close  of  life,  reverted  to  his  early 
theological  sentiments,  and  that  the  feelings  ex- 
hibited in  his  early  preaching  were  revived.  As 
proof  of  this,  the  close  of  his  last  published  dis- 
course, delivered  at  Lenox  just  before  his  death, 
has  been  referred  to.  But  I  understand  that  his 
most  intimate  friends  deny  the  alleged  fact,  and 
explain  away  the  adduced  proof.  I  have  no  means 
of  settling  the  question.  Nor  would  its  decision 
have  any  direct  bearing  on  the  subject  under 
contemplation.  I  have  said,  or  rather  written 
enough,  I  trust,  to  vindicate  Mr.  Codman  from 
the  charge  of  inconsistency,  in  selecting  the  pastor 
of  the  church,  where  his  surviving  parent,  with  her 
family,  then  attended  public  worship,  to  preach  his 
ordination-sermon. 


CONCLUSION. 


I  close  these  reminiscences  with  the  remark 
with  which  I  commenced,  that  the  name  of  John 
Codman  belongs  to  the  ecclesiastical  history  of 
New  England.     For  the  work  which  he  performed 


REMINISCENCES    OF   DR.   CODMAN.  271 

for  the  Congregational  churches  of  his  country 
has  inseparably  connected  his  name  with  their 
prosperity,  and  will  carry  it  down,  covered  with 
honor,  to  future  ages.  It  was  indeed  a  great  and 
good  work;  difficult  of  execution,  and  requiring 
a  peculiar  instrumentality.  Its  magnitude  and 
importance  can  scarcely  be  estimated  by  any,  who 
are  ignorant  of  the  state  of  the  Congregational 
churches,  before  the  separation  took  place.  Nor 
is  it  less  difficult  for  such  persons  to  appreciate, 
or  even  to  perceive  the  beneficial  effects,  which 
have  resulted  from  it.  I  believe,  however,  that 
both  parties,  both  the  orthodox  and  the  liberal,  as 
they  have  been  sometimes  denominated,  admit  that 
the  separation  has,  on  the  whole,  been  beneficial ; 
especially  in  its  influence  on  the  cause  of  peace 
and  social  intercourse.  I  am  confident,  indeed, 
that  those  who  constitute  the  Orthodox  portion  of 
the  Congregational  churches,  generally,  if  not 
universally,  are  glad  of  the  change,  and  fully  satis- 
fied that  the  cause  of  religion  has  been  promoted 
by  it.  They  think  that  the  churches  with  which 
they  are  connected,  since  the  change  took  place, 
are  in  a  more  flourishing  condition — much  revived 
in  their  spiritual  character,  more  harmonious  in 
benevolent   action,    exerting   a   higher   and    better 


272  REMINISCENCES   OF  DR.  CODMAN. 

discipline  over  their  respective  members,  and  even 
increasing  in  number.  They,  who  can  look  back 
to  the  time  of  the  separation  and  remember  the 
state  of  things  which  then  prevailed,  see,  in  the 
present  peace  and  prosperity  of  our  Zion,  much 
to  induce  them  to  rejoice  that  the  separation  was 
made.  In  Boston  and  the  vicinity;  through  the 
Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts ;  in  all  parts  of 
New  England ;  indeed,  wherever  the  Congrega- 
tional organization  of  Christian  churches  exists, 
they  discover  more  unity,  peace,  spirituality,  and 
efficient  Christian  action,  than  these  churches  ever 
exhibited,  while  they  remained  in  that  mixed  state, 
described  in  a  former  part  of  these  reminiscences. 

They  look,  for  example,  at  Boston ;  and  instead 
of  seeing,  what  might  be  seen  fifty  years  ago, 
churches  nominally  Congregational,  with  a  few 
members,  and  those  of  various  sentiments,  —  senti- 
ments so  antagonistic  as  to  produce  division  in 
feeling,  neutralize  all  benevolent  action,  and  destroy 
all  efficient  discipline,  —  they  now  behold  a  large 
number  of  Congregational  churches,  agreeing  in 
sentiment  and  united  in  action ;  built  upon  the 
same  Apostolical  foundation  ;  contending  earnestly 
for  '*  the  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints " ; 
exercising  over  their  respective  members,  and  over 


REMINISCENCES    OF  DR.   CODMAN.         273 

each  other,  a  watchful  care  and  a  sahitary  discipline; 
laboring  together  to  promote  the  cause  of  religion  at 
home,  and  to  send  the  gospel  to  the  far  distant 
nations  of  the  earth  ;  and  thus  obeying  the  last 
command  of  the  Head  of  the  church,  and  fulfilling 
the  purpose  for  which  he  established  a  church  and 
directed  his  followers  to  act  under  some  well- 
adapted  and  efficient  organization. 

Thus  great  and  good  was  the  work,  performed 
by  Dr.  Codman  for  the  Congregational  churches  ; 
and  no  one,  after  contemplating  the  severe  trials 
through  which  he  was  compelled  to  pass,  in 
accomplishing  it,  can  fail  to  perceive  that  it  was 
a  work  of  great  difficulty.  It  is  doubtful  whether 
there  was  any  other  minister,  possessing  such 
qualifications,  and  surrounded  by  such  favorable 
circumstances  of  location,  wealth  and  friends,  in 
all  the  region,  as  to  have  been  able  to  accomplish 
it  with  success.  But  God  seems  to  have  raised 
him  up  for  the  express  purpose,  and  furnished 
him  with  all  the  means  and  facilities  for  the  arduous 
work ; — to  have  given  him  his  birth  at  the  proper 
time  and  in  the  proper  place  ;  to  have  endowed 
him  with  the  best-adapted  talents ;  and  so  to 
have  controlled  the  course  of  his  education,  and 
ordered    all    the    circumstances    of    his    settlement 


274  REMINISCENCES   OF   DR.   CODMAN. 

in  the  ministry,  as  best  to  qualify  him  for  the 
work,  and  enable  him  to  accomplish  it  in  the  best 
manner. 

I  do  not  mean  to  say  that  there  were  not,  at 
the  time,  other  ministers  as  good  and  as  great  as 
Dr.  Codman.  But  there  were  none  who  possessed 
all  the  requisite  talents  and  qualifications  which 
were  united  in  him,  and  who  were  surrounded 
with  all  the  favorable  circumstances  of  location,  of 
friendship,  and  of  wealth,  which  came  to  his  aid. 
Nor  do  I  intend  to  intimate,  that  he  labored 
alone  —  that  he  was  the  only  instrument  employed 
by  Heaven,  to  produce  this  ecclesiastical  sepa- 
ration, so  important  to  the  peace  and  prosperity 
of  the  Congregational  churches  of  this  country. 
But  certainly  he  took  the  lead  in  the  work, 
and  was  the  most  prominent  instrument  in  its 
accomplishment. 

Well,  therefore,  may  it  be  said,  that  the  name 
of  John  Codman  belongs  to  the  ecclesiastical 
history  of  New  England,  and  deserves  a  prominent 
place  among  the  distinguished  ministers  of  the 
Congregational  churches.  Well  may  all  the  friends 
of  the  peace,  purity  and  order  of  these  churches, 
rejoice  and  bless  God,  that  he  raised  him  up  at 
the    appropriate    time,    placed    him    in    the    most 


REMINISCENCES   OF  DR.   CODMAN.  275 

favorable  situation,  qualified  him  for  the  work, 
sustained  him  under  his  severe  trials,  aided  him 
him  in  his  arduous  labors,  and  crow^ned  his  efforts 
with  success. 


SERMONS 


SEEMON   I 


THE    PERSON    OF    CHRIST. 


REVELATION  xxir.  16. 

I   AM   THE   ROOT   AXD    THE    OFFSPRING    OF   DAVID,    AND   THE    BRIGHT   AND 
MORNING   STAR. 

To  meditate  upon  Christ,  is  the  delight  of  the 
Christian.  To  select  suitable  subjects  for  such 
meditation  is  no  difficult  matter;  for  the  Bible  is 
full  of  Christ,  from  Genesis  to  Revelation.  The 
most  ancient  of  sacred  historians,  in  his  account  of 
the  creation  of  the  world,  directs  our  attention  to 
the  seed  of  the  woman,  who  was  to  repair  the 
ruins  of  the  fall.  The  Prophets  loved  to  prophesy 
of  the  Child  that  was  to  be  born,  of  the  Son  that 
was  to  be  given,  and  to  describe  the  glories  of  his 
kingdom  in  the  latter  daj.  The  Angels  ushered 
the  new-born  Infant  into  the  world  with  songs  of 
celestial  harmony.  The  Evangelists  and  Apostles 
recorded,  with   inspired    faithfulness,  the    minutest 


280  SERMON   I. 

actions  of  his  life,  and  the  precious  truths  that  fell 
from  his  lips. 

The  appearance  of  the  promised  Messiah  in  our 
world  was  an  event  of  unspeakable  importance  to 
our  race,  upon  which  hung  our  immortal  and  eternal 
destiny.  It  is  not  surprising  that  the  most  intense 
curiosity  should  have  been  excited  with  regard  to 
the  true  person  and  real  character  of  the  Messiah. 
Some  entertained  one  opinion,  and  some  another. 
Some  thought  that  he  was  John  the  Baptist,  some 
Elias,  and  others  Jeremias,  or  one  of  the  Prophets ; 
and  some  few,  including  the  Apostle  Peter,  thought 
that  he  was  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God. 
This  last  opinion  the  Saviour  himself  pronounced 
correct,  and  accompanied  his  decision  with  a  special 
blessing  upon  him  who  expressed  it.  "  And  Jesus 
answered  and  said  unto  him,  Blessed  art  thou, 
Simon  Bar-jona,  for  flesh  and  blood  hath  not  re- 
vealed it  unto  thee,  but  my  Father  which  is  in 
heaven.  And  I  say  also  unto  thee,  Thou  art  Peter, 
and  upon  this  rock  I  will  build  my  church,  and  the 
gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail  against  it." 

As  in  the  time  of  the  Saviour,  so  in  our  day, 
different  and  opposite  opinions  are  entertained  of 
the  person  of  Christ.  Some  regard  him  as  equal 
with  the  Father,  and  some  as  inferior  to  him,  pos- 


THE  PERSON  OF  CHRIST.  281 

sessing  only  delegated  authority.  That  there  are 
difficulties  attending  this  important  subject,  will 
not  be  denied.  Some  passages  of  Scripture,  taken 
separately,  seem  to  teach  one  doctrine,  and  some 
another.  But  we  are  not  to  judge  of  any  doctrine 
by  a  few  disjointed  and  separate  texts,  but  by 
comparing  Scripture  with  Scripture.  And  especially 
with  regard  to  the  person  of  Christ,  —  the  subject 
which  has  occasioned  so  much  controversy  in  the 
Christian  world,  —  we  ought  to  be  exceedingly 
careful  not  to  form  hasty  and  undigested  opinions, 
but  prayerfully  and  humbly  to  consult  the  whole  of 
the  sacred  oracle,  in  the  Old  as  well  as  in  the  New 
Testament,  trusting  in  the  guidance  of  Him  who 
hath  said,  "  If  any  man  do  the  will  of  my  Father 
in  heaven,  he  shall  know  of  the  doctrine,  whether 
it  be  of  God." 

But  principally  are  we  to  look  for  the  most 
satisfactory  information  on  this  important  subject, 
to  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  himself.  Surely  he  is 
the  very  best  authority.  When  he  condescends  to 
speak  of  his  own  nature  and  person,  every  mouth 
should  be  stopped,  and  the  most  implicit  credence 
given  to  his  declarations.  This  he  has  done,  very 
clearly  and  fully,  in  several  parts  of  that  most 
interesting  and  remarkable  book,  called  the  Reve- 


282  SERMON   I. 

lation  of  Saint  John.  In  the  commencement  of  it, 
he  declares  himself  to  be  '  the  Alpha  and  Omega, 
the  first  and  the  last,  the  beginning  and  the  ending, 
which  is,  and  which  was,  and  which  is  to  come, 
the  Almighty ; '  and  in  the  close  of  the  same  book, 
he  repeats  this  declaration,  and  in  addition  to  it 
affirms,  in  the  words  of  the  text,  *'  I  am  the  Root 
and  the  Offspring  of  David,  and  the  bright  and 
morning  Star." 

The  first  part  of  our  subject  tends  to  reconcile 
many,  and  some  apparently  opposite  views  of  the 
person  of  Christ.  The  Messiah  is  sometimes 
spoken  of  as  the  Mighty  God,  and  sometimes  as 
a  new-born  infant.  He  is  represented  as  an  object 
of  contempt  and  abhorrence,  and  at  the  same  time 
as  universally  admired  and  adored.  Sometimes  he 
is  said  to  live  forever,  and  sometimes  to  die  on  the 
cross.  He  is  called  the  Lord,  and  yet  the  Son  — 
the  Root  and  the  Offspring  of  David.  Nothing 
can  be  conceived  more  opposite  than  the  characters 
which  were  thus  represented  as  combined  in  the 
person  of  the  Messiah.  But  the  Pharisees  noticed 
only  those  passages  which  flattered  their  pride,  and 
raised  their  expectations  of  temporal  grandeur. 
Our  Lord,  therefore,  often  directed  their  attention 
to    their    own    prophecies,    which    described    the 


THE   PERSON    OF   CHRIST.  283 

Messiah  in  a  more  humiliating  view.  The  miracles 
of  Jesus  had  given  abundant  evidence  of  his  divine 
mission.  On  account  of  them,  therefore,  the  Jews 
were  bound  to  believe  in  him.  His  humiliation 
was  as  clearly  foretold  as  his  power  and  glory;  and 
the  accomplishment  of  it,  in  his  outward  state,  was 
an  additional  reason  for  their  acceptance  of  him  as 
their  Saviour.  A  due  attention  to  the  Scriptures 
which  they  professed  to  understand  and  explain, 
would  have  led  them  to  a  discovery  of  this  truth. 
Hence  our  Lord,  on  a  particular  occasion,  solicitous 
not  merely  to  confound,  but  to  convert  and  save 
them,  said  unto  them,  "  What  think  ye  of  Christ, 
whose  son  is  he  ?"  They  said  unto  him,  "The  son 
of  David."  So  far  they  correctly  answered  the 
question.  But  our  Lord  proposed  a  difficulty  arising 
out  of  this  answer,  which  they  could  not  so  readily 
solve.  "  He  said  unto  them,  How  then  doth  David 
in  spirit  call  him  Lord,  saying.  The  Lord  said  unto 
my  Lord,  Sit  thou  on  my  right  hand,  until  I  make 
thine  enemies  thy  footstool.  If  David  then  call  him 
Lord,  how  is  he  his  son  ? "  This  question  they 
could  not  answer,  without  admitting  the  claims  of 
Jesus  to  be  the  Son  of  God  as  well  as  the  son  of 
David,  without  acknowledging  that  our  Lord  united 
in  one  person  the  two  natures  of   God  and  man. 


284  SERMON    I. 

This  hypothesis  would  have  explained  at  once  the 
difficulty.  But  this  they  could  not  admit,  without 
acknowledging  our  Lord's  divinity.  The  language 
of  our  text  explains  the  difficulty.  ''  I  am  the  Root 
and  the  Offspring  of  David."  On  the  supposition 
that  Christ  possesses  two  natures,  the  difficulty 
vanishes.  As  man^  he  may  be  called  the  son  of 
David ;  and  as  God,  David  may,  with  the  strictest 
propriety,  call  him  Lord.  The  importance  of  this 
distinction  in  speaking  of  Christ  is  very  great.  It 
tends  to  remove  many  difficulties  which,  upon  any 
other  scheme,  would  be  insuperable.  For  instance, 
in  one  part  of  the  Bible,  our  Lord  informs  us  that 
he  and  his  Father  are  one.  In  another  place,  he 
says,  "My  Father  is  greater  than  I."  The  Apostle, 
in  speaking  of  Christ,  says,  "Who  being  in  the 
form  of  God,  thought  it  not  robbery  to  be  equal 
with  God ; "  and  our  Lord  is  frequently  repre- 
sented as  a  man  subject  to  human  infirmities  — 
a  man  of  sorrows  and  acquainted  with  grief. 

Now  if  we  admit  not  the  distinction  of  the  two 
natures  of  Jesus  Christ,  these  passages  certainly 
contradict  each  other;  but  upon  the  supposition 
that  two  natures  are  united  in  the  same  person, 
they  are  immediately  reconciled.  In  his  divine 
nature,   Christ   and    the  Father   are   one.     In    his 


THE   PERSON   OF   CHRIST.  285 

human  nature  and  mediatorial  character,  the  Son 
is  inferior  to  the  Father.  As  the  second  person 
in  the  Godhead,  it  was  no  robbery  for  Christ  to 
claim  equality  with  the  Father  ;  but  in  his  human 
nature,  it  became  him  to  be  made  in  all  things 
like  unto  his  brethren.  Indeed,  the  denial  of  the 
two  natures  of  Jesus  Christ  is  the  fruitful  source 
of  all  the  errors  respecting  the  person  of  Christ, 
which  prevail  among  us.  Their  advocates  produce 
all  those  texts  which  apply  to  Christ's  human 
nature  and  mediatorial  character,  and  which  ive 
acknowledge  represent  him  as  inferior  to  the 
Father ;  and  they  endeavor  to  explain  away  those 
texts  which  relate  to  his  divine  nature  and  pre- 
existent  state.  In  this  way,  they  perplex  many 
minds  with  painful  and  distressing  doubts  with 
regard  to  one  of  the  most  important  doctrines  of 
Christianity. 

But  let  it  ever  be  remembered,  that  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  unites  in  one  person  the  two  natures 
of  God  and  man.  He  is  both  the  Root  and 
the  Offspring  of  David.  The  importance  of  this 
doctrine  will  appear,  if  we  consider  that  both  the 
glory  of  Christ  and  the  salvation  of  men  are  con- 
nected with  it.  On  the  union  of  the  divine  and 
human    natures,    the    sufficiency   of    Christ,    as    a 


286  SERMON   I. 

Saviour,  depends.  If  he  were  a  mere  creature,  his 
obedience  could  not  merit  any  thing  for  us.  All 
that  he  could  do  would  be  nothing  more  than  his 
bounden  duty ;  and  after  all,  he  would  be  only  an 
unprofitable  servant,  neither  would  his  sufferings 
have  made  any  atonement  for  our  sins.  There  is 
no  proportion  whatever,  between  the  sufferings 
of  one  creature  for  a  time,  and  the  sufferings  of 
myriads  of  creatures  to  all  eternity.  As  sin  is  an 
infinite  evil,  and  exposes  the  sinner  to  an  infinite 
punishment,  nothing  short  of  an  infinite  atonement 
could  save  him  from  destruction.  An  infinite 
atonement  could  not  be  made  by  a  finite  being. 
Nor  is  there  any  such  distance  between  the  highest 
and  lowest  of  creatures,  but  that  they  must  be 
equally  unable  to  take  away  the  sins  of  a  ruined 
world. 

Now,  were  it  not  for  the  divine  nature  of  Christ, 
united  with  his  human  nature,  he  could  not  have 
made  a  sufficient  atonement ;  and  consequently  the 
whole  race  of  man  must  have  remained  forever 
miserable.  Besides,  were  it  not  for  the  blessed 
union  of  the  two  natures  in  our  Redeemer,  his 
intercession  would  be  utterly  unavailing  in  our 
behalf.  It  is  the  sufficiency  of  his  atonement  to 
satisfy  the  demands  of  law  and  justice,  that  forms 


THE  PERSON   OF   CHRIST.  287 

the  basis  of  his  intercession.  Let  that  foundation 
be  sapped,  bj  a  denial  of  his  Godhead,  and  the 
whole  superstructure  must  fall  at  once.  On  the 
other  hand,  if  he  be  God,  as  well  as  man,  his 
obedience,  his  sufferings,  and  his  intercession,  are 
exactly  such  as  God's  honor  and  man's  necessities 
required. 

But  the  importance  of  this  subject  will  appear, 
if  we  consider,  that  on  a  knowledge  of  this  union 
of  the  two  natures  in  Jesus  Christ,  our  salvation 
depends.  Without  such  a  view  of  Christ,  we  can 
form  no  just  idea  of  his  character.  As  we  should 
be  wholly  ignorant  of  our  own  nature,  if  we 
supposed  we  were  destitute  of  souls,  so  should 
we  be  of  Christ's  nature,  if  we  were  unmindful 
of  his  divinity  ;  for  it  is  his  divinity  which  gives  such 
a  value  and  efficacy  to  his  sufferings.  Were  his 
nature  not  divine,  we  should  never  be  encouraged 
to  approach  him  as  our  Saviour.  Who  that  felt 
the  burden  of  sin,  —  its  evil,  its  bitterness,  and  its 
plague, — would  ever  think  of  applying  to  a  creature 
for  relief?  Our  dependence  upon  a  creature  must 
be  limited ;  for,  if  it  were  unlimited^  instead  of 
saving  us,  it  would  only  subject  us  to  God's  heavy 
displeasure,  who  will  not  suffer  us  to  offer  to  a 
creature  the  homage  due  only  to  the  Creator. 


288  SERMON  I. 

But  to  obtain  salvation,  we  must  love  Him,  in 
whom  we  trust,  supremely,  and  depend  upon  his 
merits,  entirely.  This  we  could  not  do,  if  Jesus 
Christ  were  a  created  being,  without  incurring  the 
guilt  of  idolatry  and  blasphemy.  If  we  think  of 
Christ  only  as  a  creature,  our  knowledge  of  him, 
to  say  the  least,  would  be  confused,  our  gratitude 
feeble,  and  our  dependence  vain.  How  important 
then  is  it,  that  we  should  have  correct  views  of  the 
Saviour  as  the  Root  and  the  Offspring  of  David, 
as  God  and  man  mysteriously  united  in  one  person. 
For  want  of  this  scriptural  view  of  the  person  of 
the  Saviour,  how  many  have  defective  views  of  the 
whole  plan  of  salvation.  We  speak  not  now  of  the 
heathen  who  never  heard  of  Christ,  for  they  cannot 
believe  on  him  of  whom  they  have  not  heard  ;  but 
we  speak  of  those  who  hear  of  Jesus  from  Sabbath 
to  Sabbath,  but  who  see  no  beauty  in  him  that  they 
should  desire  him  ;  who  live  under  the  light  of  the 
gospel,  but  whose  eyes  are  blinded  by  the  god  of 
this  world. 

It  is  enough  to  make  a  Christian  weep,  if  he 
has  any  sensibility,  to  behold  so  many  immortals, 
whose  souls  are  as  precious  as  his  own,  unmind- 
ful of  the  Saviour's  excellence  and  inattentive  to 
his  gracious   invitation.       Shall  the   Root  and  the 


THE   PERSON   OF   CHRIST.  289 

Offspring  of  David  make  an  atonement  for  sin,  to 
raise  us  to  glory,  and  is  it  possible,  that  the  very 
creatures  for  whom  this  stupendous  sacrifice  was 
made  should  treat  it  with  indifference,  and  refuse 
to  be  saved  by  such  precious  blood !  If  angels 
rejoice  in  the  salvation  of  one  single  sinner,  surely 
they  must  weep,  if  such  holy  beings  can  shed  a 
tear,  to  see  so  many  thousands  of  precious  souls 
preferring  death  to  life,  and  hell  to  heaven.  Even 
among  those  who  do  think  occasionally  of  a  Saviour, 
it  is  painful  to  reflect  on  the  number  who  entertain 
low,  mean,  unworthy  thoughts  of  his  glorious  person. 
How  many  deny  his  divinity,  and  consider  him  only 
as  a  good  man,  a  great  prophet,  and  an  inspired 
teacher.  We  cannot  think  too  highly  of  the  Son 
of  God.  We  can  never  exalt  the  Saviour  too  high, 
nor  debase  the  sinner  too  low.  We  need  not  be 
afraid  of  offending  Christ  by  thinking  too  highly 
of  him  ;  but  there  is  infinite  danger  of  incurring 
his  displeasure  by  unworthy  thoughts  of  his  personal 
character.  He  is  the  Root  and  the  Offspring  of 
David,  and  the  bright  and  morning  Star. 

Having  dwelt  so  long  on  the  first  part  of  the  text, 
but  little  time  remains  to  consider  the  beautiful 
metaphor  by  which  our  Lord  represents  himself  to 
the  Apostle  John  —  the  bright  and  inorning  Star, 

37 


290  SERMON    I. 

the  Divine  teacher,  who  hath  knowledge  and  truth 
in  himself;  who,  like  the  morning  star,  dispels  the 
clouds  of  night,  and  ushers  in  the  light  of  day. 
'  He  is  the  true  light,  which  lighteth  every  man 
that  cometh  into  the  world.  He  is  the  glory 
of  his  people  Israel,  and  a  light  to  enlighten  the 
Gentiles.' 

Did  our  time  permit,  we  might  dwell  upon  the 
beautiful  parable  in  the  text.  As  the  morning  star 
is  distinguished  from  other  planets  and  stars,  as  the 
harbinger  of  approaching  day,  so  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  harbinger  of  great  joy  to  all  nations. 
How  joyful  was  the  period  when  the  Dayspring 
from  on  high  first  visited  our  dark  and  guilty  world ! 
'The  people  that  sat  in  darkness  saw  a  great  light, 
and  to  them  who  sat  in  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of 
death,  did  light  break  forth.'  The  coming  of  Christ 
was  the  fulfilling  of  God's  gracious  promise  unto 
the  fathers,  and  the  blessed  manifestation  of  God's 
rich  favor  and  good  will  to  men. 

But  we  must  forbear.  We  can  only  express  our 
gratitude  to  God  for  placing  this  bright  and  morning 
Star  in  the  moral  firmament,  to  be  a  light  to  those 
who  sit  in  darkness,  and  to  guide  our  feet  into  the 
way  of  peace.  What  a  blessing  is  it,  that  in  this 
dark    and    gloomy    world    we    have    a    bright   and 


THE  PERSON  OF  CHRIST.  291 

morning  Star  to  illuminate  the  darkness,  and  to 
direct  us  on  the  way  to  happiness  and  heaven. 
What  encouragement  under  all  the  trials  and 
vicissitudes  of  life,  that  we  can  turn  our  eye 
upwards,  and  behold  its  celestial  light,  shedding 
its  bright  and  cheering  beams  upon  our  pathway, 
and  animating  us  with  the  prospect  of  a  brighter 
day. 

Let  us  then  be  exhorted  to  look  unto  Jesus,  in 
all  times  of  our  trouble,  temptation  and  trial ;  and 
when  we  discern  his  presence  with  an  eye  of  faith, 
we  may  hail  it  as  the  harbinger  of  peace  and 
comfort.  And  in  that  hour,  when  all  earthly  con- 
solations fail,  when  the  darkness  of  the  grave  seems 
ready  to  cover  us  with  its  gloomy  shroud,  how 
transporting  is  the  glimpse  which  the  dying  believer 
takes  of  the  bright  and  morning  Star,  the  sure 
precursor  of  that  glorious,  eternal  day,  which  awaits 
him  in  the  world  of  spirits.  Then,  as  his  dying 
eye  is  fixed  upon  its  mild  and  steady  light,  he 
may  depart  in  peace,  with  the  assured  hope  of  a 
brighter  day,  a  glorious  resurrection,  and  a  happy 
immortality. 

Christian  friends !  We  have  been  meditating 
upon    Christ   as   the    Root   and    the    Offspring   of 


292  SERMON   I. 

David  —  the  bright  and  morning  Star.  What 
theme  can  be  more  appropriate  to  the  solemnities 
of  a  sacramental  occasion  ?  With  what  holy  awe, 
with  what  fervent  love,  with  what  devout  adora- 
tion should  we  behold  an  Incarnate  God,  as  he  is 
evidently  set  forth  crucified  before  us ! 

Were  it  not  for  the  views  we  entertain  of  the 
two  natures  of  the  Saviour,  were  it  not  that  he 
is  God-man,  the  ordinance  we  are  now  to  observe 
would  be  a  cold,  unmeaning  rite.  We  are  assem- 
bled together  to  commemorate  the  death,  not  of  a 
mere  martyr,  but  the  vicarious  sufferings  of  the  Son 
of  God.  In  this  sacred  ordinance,  we  remember 
the  Root  and  the  Offspring  of  David  —  the  Son 
of  David,  and  David's  Lord.  As  the  Offspring 
of  David,  he  died  on  the  cross ;  as  David's  Lord, 
his  sufferings  received  a  value  which  has  rendered 
them  efficacious  to  the  salvation  of  all  who  believe 
on  his  name. 

Approach,  then,  ye  humble  disciples  of  Jesus  — 
ye  who  are  not  ashamed  of  your  Master — ye  who 
believe  in  the  mystery  of  his  incarnation  —  ye  who 
desire  to  imitate  his  holy  example,  and  to  im- 
bibe his  blessed  spirit.  For  you  this  feast  was 
instituted.  You  will  welcome  its  return  with 
heartfelt  joy  and  gratitude.    You  will  gather  around 


THE  PERSON   OF   CHRIST.  293 

this  table,  and  renewedly  pledge  your  allegiance 
to  the  best  of  Masters ;  and  may  the  Root  and 
Offspring  of  David  meet  you  at  his  table,  and  arise 
in  each  of  your  hearts  as  the  bright  and  morning 
Star.     Amen. 


SERMON   II 


ON    PRAYER 


MATTHEW  VI.  5,  6. 

AND  WHEN  THOIT  PRAYEST,  THOU  SHALT  NOT  BE  AS  THE  HYPOCRITES  ARE  : 
FOR  THEY  LOVE  TO  PRAY  STANDING  IN  THE  SYNAGOGUES,  AND  IN  THE 
CORNERS  OF  THE  STREETS,  THAT  THEY  MAY  BE  SEEN  OF  MEN.  VERILY,  I 
SAY  UNTO  YOU,  THEY  HAVE  THEIR  REWARD.  BUT  THOU,  WHEN  THOU 
PRAYEST,  ENTER  INTO  THY  CLOSET,  AND  WHEN  THOU  HAST  SHUT  THY 
DOOR,  PRAY  TO  THY  FATHER  WHICH  13  IN  SECRET;  AND  THY  FATHER, 
WHICH   SEETH   IN   SECRET,    SHALL   REWARD   THEE   OPENLY. 

Prayer  is  the  very  life  of  religion.  It  is  the 
thermometer,  if  I  may  so  express  myself,  of  the 
soul.  In  proportion  to  its  lively  exercise,  its  sincere 
desires  and  fervent  aspirations,  may  be  determined 
the  degree  of  grace  that  exists  in  the  soul.  Prayer 
is  the  Christian's  breath.  A  body,  from  which  the 
breath  has  departed,  may  as  well  be  said  to  live 
and  move  and  have  a  being,  as  an  individual,  who 
is  an  utter  stranger  to  prayer,  can  be  said  to  have 
a  spiritual  existence.      It  is  prayer  that  connects 


ON   PRAYER.  295 

the  soul,  while  in  this  probationary  state,  with  the 
heavenly  world.  By  prayer,  man  holds  communion 
with  his  Maker,  rises  above  this  lower  world,  and 
has  a  foretaste  of  joys  yet  to  be  revealed.  In 
answer  to  prayer,  God  bows  the  heavens  and  comes 
down  and  dwells  with  man.  He  bends  from  his 
lofty  throne,  and  listens  to  the  breathing  of  a  pious 
soul.  His  ear,  which  is  forever  saluted  with  the 
angelic  choir,  hymning  adoration  and  praise,  is  open 
also  to  the  sighing  of  a  broken  and  contrite  heart  ; 
and  the  prayers  of  his  elect,  in  this  lower  world, 
are  continually  ascending,  in  one  cloud  of  incense, 
before  his  holy  seat.  Prayer  too  is  the  weapon, 
with  which  the  Christian  fights  all  his  battles,  and 
by  which  he  overcomes  all  his  foes  of  earth  and 
hell.  It  is  a  precious  instrument  in  the  Christian's 
armory.  The  moment  it  begins  to  rust,  his  enemies 
begin  to  triumph.  Like  the  best  and  choicest 
metals,  it  brightens  with  use,  and  improves  by  time. 
Prayer,  also,  is  the  bond  of  Christian  union.  It 
binds  the  disciples  of  the  Lamb  together,  though 
separated  by  seas  and  mountains.  It  levels  all 
distinctions,  and,  at  one  throne  of  grace,  unites 
the  rich  and  poor,  the  high  and  low,  the  bond 
and  free. 

A   duty   so    important,    we    may   well    suppose 


296  SERMON  II. 

would  engage  the  attention  of  the  great  Teacher 
of  mankind,  who  came  into  the  world  to  atone 
for  sin,  and  open  a  way  of  access  to  the  mercy- 
seat.  It  was  he  alone  who  could  make  the  sin- 
ner's prayer  acceptable  ;  for  it  is  the  very  essence 
of  acceptable  prayer,  that  it  should  be  offered  in 
a  Redeemer's  name,  and  be  perfumed  with  the 
incense  of  a  Saviour's  merits.  If  any  one  was 
authorized  to  instruct  the  world  respecting  the 
duty  of  prayer,  it  was  the  Author  of  the  text  ; 
for,  in  addition  to  his  being  divinely  appointed 
to  teach  mankind,  he  was  a  bright  example  of 
the  duties  he  taught,  and  of  none  more  remarkably, 
than  of  that  enjoined  in  the  text.  Jesus  Christ, 
in  his  human  nature,  was  eminently  a  man  of 
prayer.  He  spent  whole  days  and  nights  in  the 
exercise  of  this  sublime  and  delightful  employment. 
How  often  do  we  read  of  his  retiring,  even  from 
his  disciples,  for  secret  prayer.  When  exhausted 
by  wearied  nature,  they  sunk  into  the  arms  of 
sleep,  their  divine  Master  was  maintaining  inter- 
course with  his  Father  by  earnest  prayer.  Who 
then  so  well  qualified  to  discourse  on  this  subject, 
as  he  who  was  the  brightest  example  that  ever 
shone,  of  earnestness  and  fervency  in  prayer  ? 
I  will  not  spend  time  in  proving  that  prayer  is 


ON    PRAYER.  297 

a  duty ;  because  I  will  not  suppose  that  there  is  an 
individual  in  the  congregation  who  will  deny  it. 
But,  though  all  will  assent  to  the  necessity  and 
importance  of  prayer,  I  fear  there  are  few  who 
realize  it  so  deeply,  as  to  make  it  their  meat  and 
their  drink.  It  may  therefore  be  useful  to  consider 
its  necessity  and  importance. 

The  necessity  and  importance  of  prayer  may  be 
urged,  perhaps  sufficiently,  from  this  consideration 
alone,  —  that  God  has  been  pleased  to  establish  a 
connection  between  the  request  on  our  part,  and 
the  bestowment  of  his  favors.  After  enumerating 
a  number  of  blessings  which  he  had  in  store  for 
ancient  Israel,  he  says,  "  I  will  yet  for  this  be 
inquired  of  by  the  house  of  Israel  to  do  it  for 
them."  He  may,  it  is  true,  and  he  sometimes 
does  bestow  his  favors  unasked ;  but  this  is  not 
his  usual  method  of  operation.  When  he  sees 
best  to  depart  from  this  method,  it  is  with  a  view 
to  display  the  sovereignty  of  his  grace.  But  these 
instances  are  so  rare,  that  it  would  be  folly  and 
madness  in  the  extreme,  to  expect  the  blessing 
without  first  seeking  it  in  prayer.  If,  then,  our 
blessings,  temporal  and  spiritual,  must  flow  to  us 
through  this  medium,  we  cannot  but  acknowledge 
the  necessity  and  importance  of  the  duty  of  prayer. 


298  SERMON   II. 

But  to  perform  this  duty  merely  from  this  motive, 
from  the  expectation  of  what  we  are  to  receive, 
would  be  selfishness,  altogether  inconsistent  with 
the  disinterested  spirit  of  the  gospel.  The  child 
of  God  does  not  pray  merely  with  a  view  to  have 
his  petition  granted,  any  more  than  we  breathe 
merely  with  a  view  to  live.  Prayer  is  something 
more  than  a  bare  petition  for  favors  desired.  It  is 
the  holy  aspiration  of  a  holy  soul  in  addressing  a 
holy  God  ;  and  without  this  there  can  be  no  real, 
acceptable  prayer.  We  may  desire  any  temporal 
blessing,  and  ask  it  of  God  ;  but  unless  in  so  doing 
our  souls  are  drawn  out  in  holy  desires,  unless  we 
ask  in  the  name  of  Christ,  and  pray  in  the  Spirit, 
the  petition  cannot  be  considered  a  prayer ;  it  cer- 
tainly is  not  the  prayer  of  faith,  and  we  cannot 
expect  an  answer. 

But  the  necessity  and  importance  of  prayer  may 
be  farther  urged,  from  the  consideration  that  it  is 
absolutely  essential  to  the  existence  of  the  divine 
life.  There  can  be  no  life  of  God  in  the  soul 
without  prayer.  There  can  be  no  communion 
with  God  and  with  Christ,  no  fellowship  with  the 
saints,  no  intercourse  with  heaven.  Prayer  is  the 
key,  that  opens  the  door  of  holy  communion.  It 
is  the  wing,  that  raises    the    soul    from    earth    to 


ON   PllAYEK.  299 

heaven.  It  is  the  carrier  between  the  lower  and 
the  upper  worlds.  To  prayer  we  are  indebted  for 
all  that  holy  joy,  for  all  those  happy  frames,  for  all 
those  heavenly  anticipations  which  constitute  the 
Christian's  song  in  the  house  of  his  pilgrimage, 
and  which  form  a  pleasing  contrast,  and  more  than 
equal  balance,  to  those  distressing  feelings,  those 
gloomy  thoughts,  and  those  anxious  forebodings 
which  every  Christian  has,  in  a  greater  or  less 
degree,  to  encounter  in  struggling  with  his  cor- 
ruptions, and  in  passing  through  an  enemy's  country 
to  his  heavenly  home. 

The  Saviour  cautions  his  disciples  against  hypoc- 
risy in  the  discharge  of  this  solemn  and  important 
duty.  There  is  nothing  more  offensive  to  God, 
and  more  disgusting  to  every  serious  mind,  than 
hypocrisy  in  religion,  especially  in  the  duty  of 
prayer,  which,  of  all  other  duties,  seems  to  require 
sincerity  and  truth. 

When  we  consider  that  the  Being  whom  we 
profess  to  address  in  prayer  seeth  the  heart,  and 
is  acquainted  with  every  latent  motive,  however 
studiously  it  may  be  concealed  from  men,  it  seems 
in  the  highest  degree  astonishing,  that  any  should 
be  so  presumptuous  as  to  attempt  to  deceive  an 
omniscient    God    and    to   mock   the    Searcher   of 


300  SERMON   II. 

hearts.  The  persons  to  whom  the  Saviour  alludes 
by  the  appellation,  hypocrites,  were  the  Scribes 
and  Pharisees,  whose  hypocritical  conduct  was 
frequently  the  subject  of  his  severe  reprehension 
and  cutting  reproof.  They  were  remarkable  for 
their  long  prayers  and  sanctified  appearance,  while 
they  devoured  widows'  houses,  and  indulged  in  all 
manner  of  secret  wickedness.  Such  characters, 
however,  are  not  peculiar  to  the  Jewish  nation, 
nor  to  the  times  in  which  the  gospel  was  written. 
They  exist  now,  and  will  exist,  as  long  as  the 
hearts  of  men  remain  unrenewed  by  divine  grace. 
There  are  now,  no  doubt,  to  be  found  among 
us,  hypocrites  who  love  to  pray  standing  in  the 
synagogues  or  places  of  public  worship,  that  they 
may  be  seen  of  men.  'Verily,'  says  the  Saviour, 
'  they  have  their  reward.'  That  is,  they  have  what 
they  desire,  the  esteem  of  their  fellow-creatures, 
upon  whose  credulity  they  impose  ;  but  they  have 
none  from  Him  who  seeth  not  as  man  seeth,  and 
who  will  render  to  every  man  according  to  his 
work.  But  let  no  one  suppose, — from  this  caution 
of  the  Saviour's  not  to  imitate  the  hypocrites,  who 
love  to  pray  standing  in  the  synagogues, — that  all 
public  prayers  and  public  exercises  of  religion  are 
to  be  avoided.     This  is  evidently  not  the  meaning 


ON   PRAYER.  301 

of  the  Saviour.  He  was  very  far  from  discouraging 
the  public  worship  of  God ;  on  the  contrary,  he 
recommended  it  both  by  precept  and  example. 
He  himself  sacredly  observed  the  public  religious 
institutions  of  his  country,  and  attended  with  his 
countrymen  the  synagogue  on  the  Sabbath  day. 
"  It  is  of  private  prayer  only,"  says  Bishop  Porteus, 
"that  our  Lord  is  here  speaking;  and  the  hypocrites 
whom  he  condemns  were  those  ostentatious  Jews 
who  performed  their  devotions,  which  ought  to 
have  been  confined  to  the  closet,  in  the  synagogues, 
and  even  in  the  public  streets,  that  they  might 
be  noticed  and  applauded  for  their  extraordinary 
piety  and  sanctity.  But  this  reproof  could  not 
possibly  mean  to  extend  to  public  devotions  in 
places  of  worship.  This  is  evident,  from  the  corners 
of  streets  being  mentioned ;  for  these  are  places 
in  which  public  devotions  are  never  performed." 
All  that  the  Saviour  intended  was,  to  condemn  the 
motive  by  which  hypocrites  are  actuated — that  they 
may  he  seen  of  men.  And  this  motive,  so  far  as 
it  prevails  in  our  public  assemblies,  is  certainly 
to  be  condemned.  Be  careful  then,  my  hearers, 
when  you  engage  in  religious  exercises  in  public, 
that  you  be  influenced  by  a  sense  of  duty  to  God, 
and  not  by  a  desire  to  he  seen  and  heard  of  7nen. 


302  SERMON  II. 

Especially  should  ministers  of  the  gospel,  whose 
office  it  is  to  appear  in  public,  guard  against 
spiritual  pride.  Thej,  more  than  other  men,  are 
in  danger  of  splitting  on  this  rock  upon  which  so 
many  have  foundered.  Let  private  Christians  also, 
as  well  as  ministers,  suffer  a  word  of  exhortation. 
If  God  has  given  you  gifts,  beware  lest  your  gifts 
prove  your  ruin.  There  is  reason  to  fear  that  many 
private  Christians,  who  possess  remarkable  gifts  in 
prayer,  have  been  greatly  injured  by  the  ill-judged 
praise  of  their  brethren,  and  have  insensibly  been 
influenced  by  the  motive  of  being  heard  of  men. 
No  objection  can  be  raised  from  our  text  to  meet- 
ings for  public  prayer,  provided  they  are  conducted 
in  a  proper  manner,  and  provided  those  who  engage 
in  public  exercises  are  not  influenced  by  the  motive 
of  being  seen  and  heard  of  men. 

Our  Lord,  however,  takes  this  opportunity  of 
urging  upon  his  disciples  the  all-important  and 
essential  duty  of  secret  prayer,  without  which  all 
public  prayer  will  be  vain,  and  worse  than  in 
vain. — But    thou,  when    thou    prayest,  enter 

INTO  THY  CLOSET,  AND  WHEN  THOU  HAST  SHUT 
THY  DOOR,  PRAY  TO  THY  FATHER  WHICH  IS  IN 
SECRET  ;  AND  THY  FATHER,  WHICH  SEETH  IN  SECRET, 
SHALL    REWARD    THEE    OPENLY. 


ON   PRAYER.  303 

On  the  duty  of  secret  prayer,  too  much  cannot 
be  said.  It  is  perhaps  the  best  criterion  by  which 
we  can  judge  of  our  state  before  God.^  Those  who 
habitually  and  conscientiously  practice  this  duty, 
and  who  take  delight  in  its  observance,  entirely 
unnoticed,  and,  as  far  as  possible,  unknown  to 
otherS)  have  the  best  evidence  that  they  can  have 
of  a  state  of  grace ;  w^hile  those  who  neglect  the 
duty  altogether,  and  those  who  but  partially  perform 
it,  to  say  the  least,  have  reason  to  entertain  doubts 
of  their  spiritual  state.  The  temptations  to  neglect 
this  duty  are  so  strong,  that  nothing  but  a  principle 
of  grace  can  preserve  us  in  its  constant  and  habitual 
observance.  I  believe  there  are  few,  if  any,  but 
have  been  tempted  partially  to  neglect  this  all- 
important  duty.  Few  so  habitually  realize  the 
divine  presence  and  their  own  accountability,  as 
not  occasionally  to  dispense  wdth  closet  duties,  or, 
if  they  regularly  attend  to  the  performance  of  them, 
sometimes   to  engage  in    them  with  cold  indiffer- 

*  It  is  the  nature  of  true  grace,  that  however  it  loves  Christian 
society  in  its  place,  yet  it,  in  a  peculiar  manner,  delights  in  retire- 
ment, and  secret  converse  with  Godi  So  that  if  persons  appear  greatly 
engaged  in  social  religion,  and  but  little  in  the  religion  in  the  closet, 
and  are  often  highly  affected  when  with  others,  and  but  little  moved 
when  they  have  none  but  God  and  Christ  to  converse  with,  it  looks 
very  darkly  upon  their  religion. — Edwards  on  the  Affections,  p.  363. 


304  SERMON   II. 

ence  and  lifeless  formality.  Alas,  the  generality 
of  Christians,  even  of  the  most  sincere  and  most 
pious,  must  mourn  their  remissness  in  the  discharge 
of  this  duty. 

As  this  duty  is  so  infinitely  important,  and  so 
absolutely  essential,  we  cannot  urge  it  too  much. 
If  any  have  been  tempted  to  forsake  their  closets, 
to  neglect  to  pray  to  their  Father  w^hich  is  in  secret, 
let  me  urge  upon  them  an  immediate  attention  to 
this  neglected  duty.  A  neglect  of  this  duty  is  the 
commencement  of  backsliding,  and  of  all  those  evils 
attendant  on  a  state  of  apostasy.  If  you  value  the 
peace  of  your  own  souls,  if  you  value  heaven,  if 
you  dread  hell,  go  back  and  visit  your  neglected 
closets.  There  pour  out  your  souls  to  Him  ''  who 
seeth  in  secret."  In  secret,  confess  all  your  sins. 
Mourn  over  the  hardness  of  your  hearts,  your 
remaining  corruptions,  and  your  indwelling  sin. 
In  secret,  open  your  whole  heart  to  God.  Conceal 
not  its  plague.  It  will  be  a  relief  to  you  thus  to 
unburden  your  soul,  and  it  will  be  pleasing  to  God 
to  hear  the  groanings  of  your  spirits ;  for  a  broken 
and  a  contrite  heart  he  will  not  despise.  In  secret, 
acknowledge  all  the  mercies  you  daily  receive  from 
the  hand  of  your  great  Benefactor.  He  loves  a 
grateful,  as  well    as   a  contrite    heart.     In  secret, 


ON   PEAYER.  305 

also,  spread  all  your  wants  before  God.  Specify 
them  particularly.  However  minute,  they  will  be 
regarded  by  Him,  without  whose  knowledge  not 
a  sparrow  falleth  to  the  ground,  and  by  whom  the 
hairs  of  our  head  are  all  numbered.  In  secret, 
too,  remember  all  for  whom  it  is  your  duty  to 
pray.  When  none  are  present  but  a  heart-search- 
ing God  and  yourself,  you  may  use  particular 
expressions,  which  would  be  improper  on  more 
public  occasions. 

It  was  said  of  one  of  the  former  ministers  of 
Boston,  Dr.  Cotton  Mather,  that  he  was  in  the 
habit,  in  secret  prayer,  of  praying  for  his  children 
and  the  members  of  his  church  by  name.  I  do 
not  mention  this  for  universal  imitation,  but  merely 
to  exemplify  my  idea  of  the  freedom  which  may  be 
taken  in  secret  prayer,  which  would  be  manifestly 
unsuitable  on  other  occasions.  The  closet  is  the 
place  where  we  may  indulge  a  holy  freedom  in 
addressing  the  throne  of  grace.  Unawed  by  the 
presence  of  critical  hearers,  and  trusting  for  ac- 
ceptance in  that  Being  who  regards  the  humble 
prayer  of  the  illiterate  as  well  as  of  the  learned,  the 
Christian  can  pour  out  his  soul  in  holy  aspirations 
before  the  mercy-seat. 

"  The  absence  of  every  human  witness,"  says 
a9 


306  SERMON  II. 

a  pious  writer,^  "  emboldens  us  to  throw  off  all 
restraint,  which  would  prevent  the  freedom  of  our 
address  to  God,  and  invites  us  to  pour  out  our 
hearts  before  him.  There,  each  one  can  enter  into 
his  own  particular  case ;  and  where  is  the  genuine 
Christian  who  has  not  some  important  concern  to 
transact  with  God,  which  he  could  not  express 
before  any  creature,  however  near  and  intimate. 
As  deceit  lies  in  generals,  the  sincerely  pious  wish 
to  enter  minutely  into  all  their  sins,  infirmities, 
wants  and  woes ;  but  whom  could  we  intrust  with 
this  unreserved  confession,  but  Him  to  whose  eye 
our  hearts  are  transparent  ?  In  the  closet,  the 
numerous  class  of  Christians  who  complain  of  being 
destitute  of  the  gift  of  prayer,  females  and  young 
persons,  may  call  upon  God,  unencumbered  with 
the  shackles  of  a  form  of  prayer.  Here,  the 
spontaneous  language  of  an  overflowing  heart 
offends  no  one's  ear,  however  ungrammatical,  or 
even  contradictory  it  might  sound.  In  this  hidden 
sanctuary  we  may  perform  that  secret,  solemn  act 
of  personal  devotion,  the  surrender  of  ourselves 
to  God,  and  our  acceptance  of  him,  in  '  an  ever- 
lasting covenant  never  to  be  forgotten.' " 

In    recommending    the   subject  of  secret  prayer. 


*  The  Rev.  James  Bennet,  of  Romsey,  Eng. 


ON   PRAYER.  307 

the  same  devotional  writer  observes,  *'  What  though 
other  parts  of  religion  might  seem  more  attractive, 
have  jou  not  observed,  that  in  art  and  nature,  as 
w^ell  as  religion,  the  objects  which  obtrude  them- 
selves upon  the  sight  may  be  more  specious,  but 
the  most  essentially  important  retire  from  notice  ? 
The  face  and  hands  of  the  clock  catch  our  eye, 
while  the  main-spring,  without  which  all  the  rest 
would  be  an  useless  picture,  is  concealed  from 
sight.  '  The  human  face  divine,'  with  its  life  and 
expression,  excites  most  notice  ;  but  it  is  the  heart, 
which  lies  hidden  in  the  breast,  visible  only  to  the 
eye  of  God,  that  by  its  energy  and  motion  circulates 
the  blood,  and  preserves  the  whole  frame  from 
death*.  You  admire  the  Iccives  and  flowers  of  the 
plant ;  but  the  root,  which  remains  concealed  and 
disregarded,  supplies  the  juices  and  maintains  the 
life  and  beauty  of  the  whole.  We  may  be  more 
stricken  with  the  glory  of  public  worship ;  and 
beholding  such  an  assembly  as  thi^,  exclaim,  '  How 
goodly  are  thy  tents,  O  Jacob,  and  thy  tabernacles, 
O  Israel!'  But  let  us  never  forget  that  the  secret 
devotion  of  the  closet  is  so  essential  to  the  life 
and  value  of  our  public  services,  that  without 
it  the  most  specious  appearances  are  but  splendid 
hypocrisy," 


308  SERMON    II. 

But  there  is  a  reward  attendant  upon  the  dis- 
charge of  this  duty,  which  claims  our  attention 
before  we  close  the  subject.  '  Thy  Father,  which 
seeth  in  secret,  shall  reward  thee  openly.'  Although 
in  the  discharge  of  religious  duties  we  should  be 
actuated,  not  so  much  by  the  hope  of  reward,  as 
from  love  to  God,  and  a  delight  in  the  duty  itself, 
yet  certainly  it  is  not  improper,  that,  like  Moses, 
'  we  should  have  respect  to  the  recompense  of 
reward.'  We  are  assured  that  our  heavenly  Father 
will  not  be  an  unconcerned  spectator  of  our  devo- 
tions, nor  be  inattentive  to  our  supplications.  He 
will  reward  us  openly,  by  answering  our  petitions, 
and  granting  our  requests,  so  far  as  his  wisdom 
may  see  for  our  good,  and  for  his  glory,  in  ways 
which  will  be  openly  seen  and  regarded  by  the 
world.  Indeed,  the  discharge  of  this  duty  carries 
with  it  its  own  reward.  What  happiness  does  the 
Christian  enjoy  in  his  closet  !  He  is  abundantly 
rewarded  by  the  hours  of  sweet  communion  which 
he  is  privileged  to  spend  with  his  heavenly  Father, 
by  that  abstractedness  from  the  world,  and  by  that 
elevation  of  soul  and  intercourse  with  heaven,  which 
are  the  happy  effects  of  closet  devotion.  The 
Christian,  who  lives  by  faith  and  secret  prayer, 
will  not  only  be  rewarded  in  this  world,  but  will 


ON    PRAYER.  309 

be  openly  rewarded  in  heaven.  The  Being  whom 
he  has  so  often  adored  in  his  closet,  will  own  his 
unworthy  name  before  an  assembled  universe,  and 
will  admit  him  to  dwell  forever  in  his  presence  with 
this  blessed  plaudit,  "  Well  done,  good  and  faithful 
servant !  " 

Permit  me  now  to  close  the  discourse,  by  an 
application  to  three  classes  of  hearers.  First,  To 
those  who  never  pray ;  Secondly,  To  those  who 
pray  as  the  hypocrites  ;  and  Thirdly,  To  those 
who  pray  in  secret,  in  sincerity  and  truth. 

Are  there  any,  now  present,  who  never  pray  ? 
Do  you  believe  in  a  God,  and  do  you  think  he 
has  no  concern  in  the  affairs  of  men  ?  Do  you 
not  know  that  you  are  completely  in  his  power, 
and  that  he  can  do  with  you  what  seemeth  good 
in  his  sight  ?  And  is  it  a  matter  of  indifiference 
to  you  whether  you  enjoy  his  favor,  or  suffer  his 
wrath  ?  Are  you  not  sensible  that  you  have 
offended  this  just  and  holy,  gracious  and  benevo- 
lent Being  ?  And  will  you  not  ask  forgiveness  of 
him  ?  Are  you  not  afraid,  that  if  you  treat  him 
with  entire  neglect  and  contempt,  he  will  reward 
you  accordingly  ?  Can  you  *  abide  the  day  of  his 
coming,  can  you  stand  when  he  appeareth ;  for  he 


310  SERMON   II. 

is  like  a  refiner's  fire,  and  like  fuller's  soap.' 
Are  joLi  not  afraid  to  hear  language  like  this 
addressed  unto  jou  :  '  Because  I  have  called,  and 
ye  have  refused,  I  have  stretched  out  my  hands, 
and  no  one  regarded,  but  ye  have  set  at  nought  all 
my  counsel,  and  would  none  of  my  reproof;  I  also 
will  laugh  at  your  calamity,  I  will  mock  when  your 
fear  cometh,  when  your  fear  cometh  as  a  desola- 
tion, and  your  destruction  cometh  as  a  whirlwind, 
when  distress  and  anguish  come  upon  you.  Then 
shall  ye  call  upon  me,  but  I  will  not  answer  ;  ye 
shall  seek  me  early,  but  ye  shall  not  find  me  ; 
for  ye  hated  knowledge,  and  did  not  choose  the 
fear  of  the  Lord.  Therefore  shall  ye  eat  of  your 
own  way,  and  be  filled  with  your  own  devices.' 

Be  persuaded,  my  friends,  if  you  never  prayed 
before,  to  begin  to-day.  When  you  retire  from 
this  house  enter  into  your  closets,  and  when  you 
have  shut  your  door,  pray  unto  your  Father  which 
is  in  secret.  Penitently  confess  all  your  past 
transgressions.  Conceal  no  darling  sin  ;  but  '  cut 
off  the  right  hand,  and  pluck  out  the  right  eye.' 
Solemnly  promise,  that  from  this  time  forth  you  will 
lead  a  new  and  holy  life ;  that  wherein  you  have 
done  iniquity,  you  will  do  so  no  more  ;  and  ask 
of  God  to  grant  you  his  Holy  Spirit  to  enable  you 


ON   PRAYER.  311 

to  perform  all  your  good  resolutions.  Remember 
that  of  yourselves  you  can  do  nothing ;  that  all 
your  sufficiency  must  be  of  God.  Go  to  the  cross 
of  Christ,  and  there  learn  to  pray.  Look  at  Him 
whom  you  have  pierced,  and  mourn.  From  his 
veins  flows  the  fountain,  which  was  opened  for  sin 
and  all  uncleanness,  in  which  you  must  be  washed 
from  all  your  filthiness,  and  cleansed  from  all  your 
idols.  In  his  precious  name  you  must  pray,  if  you 
expect  to  be  heard :  and  whatever  you  ask  the 
Father  in  his  name,  believing,  you  shall  receive. 
And  may  God  grant  that  many,  who  never  prayed 
before,  may  this  day  lift  up  holy  hands,  with  a 
humble  and  contrite  heart,  to  the  seat  of  mercy, 
and  find  acceptance  with  that  Being  who  heareth 
and  answereth  prayer. 

My  subject  now  leads  me  to  address  a  few  words 
to  those  of  my  hearers,  who  pray  as  the  hypocrites. 
Who  you  are  I  know  not,  nor  do  I  wish  to  know ; 
for  I  would  avoid  personalities,  and  yet  be  faithful. 
But  in  a  few  words  I  will  so  describe  you  that 
you  may  know  yourselves.  You  come  regularly 
to  the  sanctuary  of  God,  and  stand  praying  in  his 
house  ;  but  your  motive  is  not  to  seek  forgiveness 
of  God,  and  to  inquire  the  way  to  heaven,  but 
to   be    seen   of  men.      You    even   profess  religion 


312  SERMON    II. 

and  observe  the  ordinances  of  Christ,  but  at  the 
same  time  you  are  strangers  to  jour  closets ;  or 
if  jou  ever  visit  them,  if  jou  ever  retire  for  prayer, 
it  is  only  to  satisfy  the  remonstrances  of  conscience 
which  such  a  discourse  as  this  may  excite,  but 
which  are  soon  forgotten  when  you  mix  again  with 
the  world.  My  friends,  if  this  is  your  character, — 
and  you  may  easily  know  whether  it  is, — I  beg  you 
to  pause  and  consider  the  danger  of  your  situation. 
You  are  attempting  to  deceive  a  Being,  with  whom 
the  darkness  is  as  the  light,  and  the  night  as  the 
day.  But  your  attempts  are  vain.  The  Most 
High  seeth  you  and  witnesseth  all  your  hypocrisy, 
and  there  is  nothing  he  more  heartily  detests  and 
will  more  severely  punish.  If  you  continue  in  a 
state  of  impenitence,  read  your  doom  in  the  word 
of  God.  "  The  hypocrite's  hope  shall  perish." 
'*  The  hypocrites  in  heart  heap  up  wrath."  *' The 
Lord  of  that  servant  shall  come  in  a  day  when  he 
looketh  not  for  him,  and  in  an  hour  that  he  is  not 
aware  of,  and  shall  cut  him  asunder,  and  appoint 
him  his  portion  with  the  hypocrites." 

I  must  now  conclude  by  addressing  a  few  words 
of  comfort  and  encouragement  to  those  of  my 
hearers  who  pray  in  secret,  in  sincerity  and  truth. 


ON  PRAYER.  313 

However  obscure  and  unknown  you  may  be  in 
the  world,  you  are  not  unnoticed,  my  praying 
friends,  by  the  great  Jehovah.  He  is  everywhere 
present.  He  witnesses  all  your  retirements.  He 
sees  you  in  the  midnight  hour,  when  the  eyes  of 
mortals  are  closed  in  sleep.  He  not  only  sees,  but 
hears.  Not  a  sigh,  not  a  groan  escapes  his  attentive 
ear.  He  not  only  sees  and  hears,  but  remembers. 
He  does  not  forget  your  wants,  though  he  may  not 
immediately  grant  an  answer  to  your  prayers.  He 
loves  to  try  the  faith  of  his  children,  and  to  exercise 
their  patience.  But  be  not  discouraged.  He  will 
answer  prayer,  if  not  in  the  way  which  you  expect, 
in  a  much  wiser  and  better  way.  Be  not  weary 
then  of  secret  prayer,  but  continually  enter  your 
closets  and  shut  your  doors  about  you.  A  con- 
scientious attention  to  this  duty  will  fit  you  for 
all  the  scenes  and  events  of  life  ;  will  support  you 
under  all  its  trials,  and  strengthen  you  under  all 
its  temptations. 

"  If  I  had  gone  to  prayer,"  said  a  poor  criminal 
about  to  be  executed  for  murder,  "  in  the  morning 
of  the  day  I  committed  the  awful  deed,  I  should 
not  have  been  left  to  have  shed  innocent  blood." 
The  closet  contains  the  Christian's  armor.  If  he 
does  not  put  it  on  in  the  morning,  he  cannot  expect 

40 


314  SERMON   II. 

to  overcome  the  enemies  he  may  have  to  encounter 
during  the  day. 

"  Finally,"  my  Christian  friends,  "  take  unto 
you  the  whole  armor  of  God :  above  all,  praying 
always  with  all  prayer  and  supplication  in  the  Spirit, 
and  watching  thereunto  with  all  perseverance,  and 
supplication  for  all  saints."     Amen. 


SERMON    III. 


THE   GOOD    AND   FAITHFUL    SERVANT 


Preached  at  Milton,  October  18,  1836,  at  the  Funeral  of  the  Kev.  Samuel  Gile,  D.  D., 
Pastor  of  the  First  Congreg-ational  Church  in  that  place. 


MATTHEW  XXV.  21. 

WELL  DONE,  THOU  GOOD  AND  FAITHFUL  SERVANT  ;  THOU  HAST  BEEN  FAITH- 
FUL OVER  A  FEW  THINGS,  I  WILL  MAKE  THEE  RULER  OVER  MANY  THINGS  : 
ENTER  THOU   INTO   THE   JOY   OF   THY   LORD. 

We  have  assembled,  my  hearers,  to  pay  a  tribute 
of  respect  to  the  memory  of  a  much  esteemed, 
much  beloved  minister  of  Christ.  The  circum- 
stances of  the  occasion  are  in  themselves  peculiarly 
solemn  and  avi^ful.  On  the  last  Sabbath  morning, 
he  stood  in  this  desk  in  his  full  strength,  and 
apparently  in  perfect  health,  and  offered  public 
prayer  for  his  beloved  people,  for  the  church  and 
the  world;  and  during  the  short  interval  of  divine 
service,  he  resigned  his  soul  into  the  hands  of  his 
Maker,  and  ascended  to  the  heavenly  temple,  to 


316  SERMON  III. 

spend  an  eternal   Sabbath  in  the   presence  of  his 
God. 

There  is  something  in  the  circumstances  of  his 
removal  from  us,  which,  though  tending  to  inspire 
our  minds  with  solemn  awe,  is  calculated  to  im- 
part comfort  and  support,  and  even  to  call  forth 
emotions  of  praise  and  thanksgiving.  We  know 
that  it  is  appointed  unto  all  men  once  to  die,  and 
that  there  is  no  discharge  in  that  war;  but  there  is 
a  great  diversity  in  the  manner  in  which  it  pleases 
our  heavenly  Father  to  release  his  creatures  from 
life.  Many  are  removed  by  lingering  sickness  and 
wasting  disease,  and  are  called  to  much  bodily  pain 
and  suffering ;  and  these  circumstances,  too,  are 
mercifully  ordered,  especially  where,  as  in  most 
cases,  there  is  need  of  time  and  opportunity  to 
prepare  the  soul  to  stand  before  its  God.  But 
where,  as  in  the  case  of  our  departed  friend,  there 
rests  not  the  shadow  of  a  doubt  of  personal  piety 
and  habitual  preparation  for  death,  we  cannot  but 
regard  the  very  suddenness  of  the  event  as  an 
expression  of  divine  benevolence.  It  seems  to  us 
more  like  a  translation  than  an  ordinary  dissolution. 
We  are  reminded  of  Enoch,  who  walked  with  God, 
and  was  not,  for  God  took  him  ;  and  of  Elijah, 
who  ascended  by  a  whirlwind  in  a  chariot  of  fire 


THE   GOOD   AND  FAITHFUL  SERVANT.       317 

to  heaven.  The  prayer  so  beautifully  expressed 
by  a  Christian  poet,  seems  to  have  been  remarkably 
granted : 

"  O,  that  without  a  lingering  groan, 
I  may  the  welcome  word  receive, 
My  body  with  my  charge  lay  down, 
And  cease  at  once  to  work  and  live." 

In  the  exercises  of  this  solemn  occasion,  the  duty 
of  directing  your  attention  to  the  w^ord  of  God 
for  comfort  and  support,  has  devolved  upon  one 
w^ho,  w^hile  he  feels  inadequate  to  its  fulfillment, 
from  the  sudden  and  aw^ful  shock  he  has  sustained, 
as  well  as  from  the  shortness  of  the  notice,  and  the 
uncommon  excellence  of  the  character  he  is  called 
upon  to  portray,  cannot  but  acknowledge  that 
there  is  probably  no  one  else,  more  intimately 
acquainted  with  the  private  and  ministerial  char- 
acter of  the  departed,  and  certainly  none  of  his 
brethren,  by  whom  he  was  more  sincerely  esteemed 
and  affectionately  beloved.  ''  Alas,  my  brother ! 
very  pleasant  hast  thou  been  unto  me !  " 

The  words  which  I  have  selected  as  the  theme 
of  the  present  discourse,  are  a  part  of  the  Saviour's 
memorable  parable  of  the  talents.  This  parable  is 
familiar   to   you   all,  and   it  is  unnecessary  that  I 


318  SERMON  III. 

should  dwell  upon  it  at  the  present  time,  any 
further  than  to  remark  upon  its  connection  with 
the  text. 

The  words  of  the  text  contain  the  approbation 
of  his  Lord,  as  expressed  to  that  servant  to  whom 
he  had  intrusted  five  talents,  and  who  went  and 
traded  with  the  same,  and  made  them  other  five 
talents.  "  His  Lord  said  unto  him.  Well  done,  thou 
good  and  faithful  servant ;  thou  hast  been  faithful 
over  a  few  things,  I  will  make  thee  ruler  over  many 
things :  enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord." 
The  natural  division  of  the  text  will  lead  us  to 
consider : — 

L  The  Character,  and 

II.  The  Reward,  of  the  good  and  faithful  ser- 
vant. 

I.  The  Character.  In  one  sense,  all  the  chil- 
dren of  men  may  be  said  to  be  the  servants  of  God, 
for  they  are  all  subject  to  the  power  and  pleasure 
of  God,  and  are  bound  by  the  ties  of  creation  and 
providence  to  his  service  ;  but  especially  is  the  term 
servant  applicable  to  those  of  his  creatures  who 
have  been  redeemed  from  the  bondage  of  sin  and 
Satan,  to  serve  the  living  and  true  God ;  and  more 
especially  is  it  applicable  to  those  who  have  devoted 
themselves  to  the  service  of  God  in  the  gospel  of 


THE   GOOD  AND  FAITHFUL  SERVANT.       319 

his  Son,  and  who  have  been  solemnly  set  apart  to 
the  high  and  holy  duties  of  the  Christian  ministry. 
It  is  in  this  restricted  sense,  that  we  propose  to 
consider  it  in  the  following  discourse. 

In  attempting  to  describe  the  character  of  the 
good  and  faithful  servant,  (or  minister  of  Christ,) 
I  would  notice,  among  others,  the  following  parts 
of  which  it  is  composed  :  Piety — good  natural 
talents  and  theological  learning — practical  wisdom 
and  prudence  —  love  for  souls  —  devotedness  to  his 
work  —  ardent  desires  to  promote  the  glory  of  God, 

1.  The  character  described  in  the  text  implies 
piety,  or  personal  religion.  Without  this,  no  pre- 
tension whatever  can  be  made  to  that  character. 
It  is  base  hypocrisy  for  any  man  to  profess  to  be 
the  servant  of  God,  and  especially  the  messenger 
of  Heaven  to  his  fellow-men,  who  is  destitute  of 
piety.  This  is  the  first,  and  most  important  and 
essential  qualification  in  a  minister  of  the  gospel, 
without  which  he  will  be  only  a  blind  leader  of 
the  blind.  A  man  must  be  converted  himself, 
before  he  can  hope  to  be  instrumental  in  the  con- 
version of  his  fellow-men.  To  constitute  a  good 
and  faithful  servant,  or  minister  of  Christ,  that 
change  must  first  be  effected  in  the  soul,  of  which 
our  Lord   spake  to  Nicodemus ;   and  the  want  of 


320  SERMON   III. 

which,  if  it  disqualifies  for  admission  to  the  king" 
dom  of  heaven,  surely  disqualifies  for  the  ministry 
of  reconciliation.  Deep,  and  humble,  and  fervent 
piety,  is  an  indispensable  requisite  in  the  character 
of  the  good  and  faithful  servant.  It  is  indeed  the 
basis,  or  foundation,  upon  vs^hich  the  character  is 
formed. 

Next  to  piety,  good  natural  talents  and  theologi- 
cal learning  are  important  constituent  parts  in  the 
character  of  the  good  and  faithful  servant.  Without 
these,  however  deep  and  fervent  may  be  his  piety, 
the  minister  of  the  gospel  cannot  be  a  good  and 
faithful  servant ;  for  they  are  absolutely  necessary 
to  enable  him  to  discharge  the  duties  of  his  office. 
Especially  is  a  thorough  acquaintance  with  divine 
truth,  as  contained  in  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old 
and  New  Testament,  and  sufficient  talent  wisely 
to  explain  and  faithfully  to  apply  it,  absolutely 
necessary  in  a  minister  of  the  gospel. 

Equally  indispensable,  in  the  character  of  the 
good  and  faithful  servant,  is  practical  loisdom  and 
prudence.  By  which  I  mean  a  sound  judgment, 
wisely  to  discern  the  path  of  duty, — clearly  to 
perceive  the  difficulties  by  which  this  path  is 
sometimes  surrounded, — and  prudently  to  avoid, 
or  guard  against  them.     This  trait  of  character  is 


THE   GOOD   AND   FAITHFUL  SERVANT.       321 

of  the  first  importance  in  the  good  and  faithful 
servant;  and  happy  is  that  servant  who  pos- 
sesses it. 

Devotedness  to  his  work  and  love  to  the  souls 
of  men  is  an  essential  trait  in  the  character  of  the 
good  and  faithful  servant  or  minister  of  Christ. 
He  enters  the  service  of  God  in  the  ministry  of  his 
Son,  with  entire  devotedness  and  consecration  to  his 
work.  It  is  his  great  desire  to  spend  and  be  spent 
for  Christ.  His  soul  burns  with  a  longing  desire 
for  the  salvation  of  his  fellow-men.  For  this,  he  is 
instant  in  season  and  out  of  season.  He  counts 
not  his  life  dear  unto  himself,  that  he  may  finish 
his  course  with  joy,  and  the  ministry  which  he  has 
received  of  the  Lord  Jesus  to  testify  the  gospel 
of  the  grace  of  God.  He  avails  himself  of  every 
opportunity  to  promote  the  salvation  of  his  fellow- 
men,  especially  of  the  flock  committed  to  his 
pastoral  oversight.  He  will  bear  them  continually 
on  his  heart  to  the  throne  of  grace.  He  will  labor 
for  them  both  in  private  and  in  public,  both  in  the 
family  and  in  the  sanctuary.  In  all  their  concerns, 
he  will  take  the  liveliest  interest.  In  one  word, 
his  whole  soul  will  be  in  his  work. 

An  ardent  desire  for  the  glory  of  God  must 
complete   this   brief  and    imperfect   sketch  of  the 


322  SEEMON  III. 

character  of  the  good  and  faithful  servant.  His 
love  for  the  souls  of  men  springs  from  his  desire 
for  the  glorj  of  God.  It  is  because  he  ardently 
desires  that  God  may  be  glorified,  that  he  labors 
for  the  salvation  of  souls.  It  is  his  great  concern, 
that  the  Saviour,  whom  he  loves,  may  see  of  the 
travail  of  his  soul  and  be  satisfied.  He  longs  to 
behold  sinners  converted  to  God,  —  multitudes 
brought  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth,  —  and  the 
church  increase  and  flourish. 

II.  Let  us  dwell  for  a  moment  on  the  Re- 
ward promised  to  such  a  character.  "  Well  done, 
thou  good  and  faithful  servant ;  thou  hast  been 
faithful  over  a  few  things,  I  will  make  thee  ruler 
over  many  things  :  enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy 
Lord."  In  this  w^orld,  the  servant  of  Christ  has 
but  a  comparatively  small  sphere  of  labor  assigned 
him ;  but,  if  he  is  faithful  over  a  few  things,  he 
shall  be  made  ruler  over  many  things.  It  is  difficult 
to  conceive  exactly  of  the  nature  of  the  reward 
promised  in  this  remarkable  passage  of  Scripture, 
because  we  are,  as  yet,  ignorant  of  the  employ- 
ments of  the  saints  in  glory ;  but  we  are  led,  from 
the  words  of  the  text,  to  indulge  the  idea  that 
in  the  future  state,  the   sphere  of  usefulness  will 


THE   GOOD   AND   FAITHFUL   SERVANT.      323 

be  greatly  enlarged.  Heaven  is  not  a  state  of 
passive  enjoyment,  as  some  seeni  to  imagine.  A 
ruler  over  many  things  evidently  implies,  active 
employment;  and  it  is  delightful  thus  to  contem- 
plate the  heavenly  world,  as  a  place  not  of  perfect 
quiescence,  but  of  active  service  in  the  employment 
of  the  same  Saviour  for  w^hom  we  delighted  to 
labor  on  earth.  What  new  scenes  of  extended 
usefulness  may  open  upon  the  glorified  spirit  on 
his  admission  into  the  heavenly  world !  Here,  he 
has  been  faithful  over  a  few  things ;  there,  he  shall 
be  made  ruler  over  many  things.  Here,  he  has 
conscientiously  and  faithfully  discharged  his  duty 
in  the  sphere  allotted  him  by  the  providence  of 
God;  there,  he  shall  have  other  duties  assigned 
him,  and  be  engaged  in  more  sublime,  more  exalted 
employments. 

"  Enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord."  By  this 
phrase  we  may  understand  those  joys  which  God 
has  prepared  for  those  that  love  him  ;  —  those  joys 
which  were  so  feelingly  described  in  this  place, 
on  the  last  Sabbath  morning,  in  the  presence  of 
him  who  has  since  gone  to  realize  them  in  heaven ; 
—  those  joys  which  eye  hath  not  seen,  which  ear 
hath  not  heard,  and  which  it  hath  not  entered  into 
the    heart  of  man  to   conceive ;  —  the  joy   of  thy 


324  SERMON  III. 

Lord  —  the  joj  purchased  for  his  people  by  his 
sufferings  and  death  ;  —  the  joy  of  thy  Lord  —  the 
joy  of  beholding  him  face  to  face,  without  a  veil 
between ;  the  joy  of  dwelling  forever  in  his  pres- 
ence, where  is  fullness  of  joy,  and  at  his  right  hand, 
where  are  pleasures  forevermore. 

Such  is  the  reward  of  the  good  and  faithful 
servant;  and  such,  w^e  doubt  not,  is  the  reward 
that  awaited  our  beloved  brother,  who  has  been 
removed  from  us  in  a  manner  so  remarkably  solemn 
and  affecting. 

It  may  be  expected,  on  this  occasion,  that  I 
should  give  some  biographical  account  of  that  ex- 
cellent man,  whose  lifeless  and  venerated  form  lies 
before  us,  on  its  way  to  the  narrow  house  appointed 
for  all  the  living. 

I  have  had  but  little  opportunity  of  knowing  his 
early  history  previous  to  my  personal  acquaintance 
with  him,  soon  after  his  settlement  in  this  place. 
He  was  born  in  Plaistow,  New  Hampshire,  July  23, 
1780.  He  was  the  son  of  Major  Ezekiel  Gile,  an 
officer  in  the  revolutionary  army,  and  one  of  the  most 
respectable  inhabitants  of  the  town  in  which  he 
lived.  Both  of  his  parents,  it  is  believed,  were  pious, 
and  died  in  the  triumphs  of   that  religion  which 


THE   GOOD   AND   FAITHFUL   SERVANT.       325 

they  professed.  He  entered  Dartmouth  College 
in  the  year  1800;  and  I  have  repeatedly  learned, 
from  those  associated  with  him  in  college,  as  well 
as  from  others,  that  he  sustained  an  unblemished 
character  and  a  respectable  standing  as  a  scholar 
during  his  connection  with  that  institution.  Upon 
leaving  college,  he  commenced  the  study  of  divinity 
at  Andover,  under  the  superintending  care  of  the 
Rev.  Jonathan  French,  a  divine  highly  esteemed 
in  those  days  for  his  piety  and  orthodoxy,  and.  for 
his  success  in  training  up  young  men  for  the  sacred 
nainistry.  He  was  distinguished  for  his  popularity 
as  a  preacher.  Few  young  men,  at  that  period, 
were  so  acceptable.  His  commanding  presence, 
his  style,  which  was  always  rich  in  imagination, 
his  powerful  and  mellifluous  voice,  and  especially 
his  holy  unction  and  extraordinary  copiousness  in 
addressing  the  throne  of  grace,  rendered  him  always 
a  most  acceptable  and  popular  preacher.  His  ser- 
vices were  eagerly  sought  and  highly  appreciated, 
and  several  promising  fields  of  usefulness  presented 
themselves  for  his  acceptance.  The  ancient  and 
highly  respectable  church  of  Christ  in  this  place, 
being  destitute  of  a  pastor,  in  consequence  of  the 
resignation  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Joseph  McKeen,  Mr. 
Gile  was  invited  to  take  the  pastoral  charge  of  it 


326  SERMON  III. 

with  great  unanimity,  and  was  ordained  February 
18,  1807. 

His  religious  opinions  were  at  that  time  well 
known,  and  continued  the  same,  without  variation, 
to  the  close  of  life.  They  were  what  have  generally 
been  termed  Orthodox,  and  were  conformable  to  the 
doctrines  contained  in  the  Assembly's  Catechism. 
He  was  attached  to  the  good  old  system  of  faith 
held  by  the  fathers  of  New  England.  He  was 
remote,  on  the  one  hand,  from  a  lax  system  of 
theology,  and  on  the  other,  from  the  extreme  of 
orthodoxy.  He  was  a  Calvinist  of  the  old  school.* 
In  the  belief  of  these  doctrines  he  lived,  and  in  the 
the  belief  of  these  doctrines  he  died.  Although 
decided  and  firm  in  his  religious  sentiments,  he  was 
liberal  and  catholic  towards  those  who  differed  from 
him.  Nothing  was  further  from  his  bosom,  than  a 
spirit  of  censoriousness  and  denunciation.     He  was 

*  The  phrases,  Old  and  JVeiv  School,  are  variously  understood  in 
different  parts  of  the  country.  It  is  perhaps  proper  to  state  that 
the  distinction,  as  applied  to  Dr.  Gile,  is  not  intended  to  be  made 
in  reference  to  the  theological  controversy  that  at  present  agitates 
some  sections  of  the  American  church,  but  rather  to  the  distinction 
that  prevailed  in  New  England  when  Dr.  Gile  commenced  his 
ministry.  He  had  no  relish  for  metaphysical  speculations  and  new 
systems  of  divinity,  but  harmonized  in  sentiment  with  such  old 
divines  as  Flavel,  and  Henry,  and  Watts,  and  Doddridge. 


THE   GOOD   AND  FAITHFUL   SERVANT.       327 

willing  that  others  should  enjoy  the  same  right  of 
private  judgment  he  claimed  for  himself.  He  was 
no  polemic  nor  controversialist.  His  preaching 
was  not  so  doctrinal  as  that  of  manj.  It  was 
rather  experimental  and  practical. 

He  was  distinguished  above  most  men  for  his 
extraordinary  gift  in  prayer.  There  was  a  sub- 
limity, a  richness,  a  freedom,  a  copiousness  in  his 
devotional  exercises,  that  partook  of  the  atmosphere 
of  heaven,  and  raised  the  souls  of  those,  whose 
devotions  he  guided,  above  this  lower  world,  to 
sweet  and  holy  communion  with  God. 

But  it  was  not  only  in  the  house  of  God  that  our 
departed  friend  exhibited  the  character  of  a  good 
and  faithful  servant.  He  was  the  affectionate  and 
devoted  pastor  out  of  the  pulpit.  In  the  chamber 
of  sickness,  and  around  the  bed  of  death,  and  in 
the  house  of  mourning,  he  was  ever  kind,  soothing 
and  devoted  in  his  personal  attentions.  He  took 
the  liveliest  interest  in  the  temporal  as  well  as  in 
the  spiritual  concerns  of  his  flock.  He  was  the 
prudent  counsellor,  the  timely  peacemaker,  the 
confiding  friend.  But  I  need  not  dwell  on  the 
excellences  of  his  ministerial  and  pastoral  character. 
You  knew  him — you  appreciated  him  —  you  loved 
him.     It  was   at   home^  in    his   family  and  in  the 


328  SERMON   III. 

midst  of  his  flock,  that  his  character  shone  in 
brightest  colors.  He  loved  his  home.  He  sought 
not  great  things  for  himself.  He  shunned,  rather 
than  courted,  public  life.  He  was  not,  however, 
always  suffered  to  remain  in  the  retirement  he 
preferred,  but  was  occasionally  drawn  out  to  ap- 
pear before  the  public  on  interesting  and  important 
occasions ;  *  and  within  a  short  period  of  his  death, 
he  received  a  flattering  notice  of  respect  from  a 
university  in  a  neighboring  State. t  In  the  education 
of  indigent  pious  youth  for  the  gospel  ministry,  he 
took  the  liveliest  interest ;  and  was,  at  the  time  of 
his  death,  the  Secretary  of  the  Norfolk  Auxiliary 
Education  Society,  and  a  member  of  the  Board  of 
Directors  of  the  Parent  Society.  Still  it  was  in  the 
retirement  of  a  country  parish,  and  in  the  midst  of 
his  family  and  friends,  that  the  peculiar  traits  of  his 
excellent  character  were  developed. 

These  distinguishing  traits  were    benevolence  — 

*He  was  called  to  preach  before  The  Foreign  Mission  Society 
of  Boston  and  Vicinity,  —  The  Norfolk  Education  Society,  —  The 
Society  for  Promoting  Christian  Knowledge,  —  The  Society  for 
Propagating  the  Gospel,  —  The  Convention  of  Congregational  Min- 
isters, —  and  on  several  ordination  and  other  public  occasions.  His 
Sermon  before  the  Foreign  Mission  Society  was  printed. 

f  He  received  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity  from  the  University 
of  Vermont,  but  a  few  months  previous  to  his  decease. 


THE  GOOD  AND  FAITHFUL  SERVANT.       329 

prudence  —  consistency — patience  under  trials — and 
great  Christian  meekness  and  forgiveness  of  in- 
juries. 

He  was  distinguished  for  benevolence.  No  man 
felt  more  tenderly  for  the  poor,  and  contributed 
more,  according  to  his  ability,  for  their  relief.  His 
heart  overflowed  with  the  milk  of  human  kindness. 
He  felt  for  all  in  distress,  and  eloquently  pleaded 
for  their  relief.  He  was  given  to  hospitality.  His 
house  was  ever  open  to  his  friends,  and  often  to 
strangers.  He  had  a  large  heart ;  and  had  his 
means  been  as  large  as  his  heart,  no  case  of  distress 
would  ever  have  been  unrelieved. 

He  was  eminently  distinguished  for  prudence. 
In  my  intimacy  with  him,  for  nearly  thirty  years, 
I  never  heard  an  unguarded  expression  fall  from 
his  lips.  His  prudence  might  sometimes,  perhaps, 
have  seemed  to  degenerate  into  excessive  caution ; 
but  so  rarely  is  this  excellent  trait  of  character  to 
be  found,  that  we  may  be  disposed  to  pardon  the 
fault  into  which  it  sometimes  has  a  tendency  to 
lead.  I  have  known  few  men  more  distinguished 
for  practical  wisdom,  than  our  departed  friend. 

He  was  no  less  distinguished  for  uniformity  and 
consistency  of  character.  He  was  endued  by  nature 
with  a  disposition  peculiarly  amiable ;  and  the  grace 

42 


330  SERMON    III. 

of  God,  superadded  to  it,  rendered  his  temper 
and  conduct  singularly  uniform  and  delightfully 
consistent.  The  same  benignant  smile  played  on 
his  countenance,  in  the  family  and  in  the  social 
circle,  and  was  sometimes  seen  lingering  there, 
chastened  by  religious  awe,  in  the  house  of  God. 
Consistency,  that  rare  virtue,  was  one  of  his  most 
striking  characteristics. 

But  the  trait  in  the  character  of  this  excellent 
man,  which  shone  with  peculiar  lustre,  was  his 
patience  under  trials,  and  great  Christian  meekness 
and  forgiveness  of  iiijuries.  He  had  his  trials,  and 
they  were  painful  and  severe.  His  trials,  too,  were 
from  those  sources  in  which  he  was  most  keenly 
sensitive — his  family  and  his  Jlock, 

The  loss  of  several  children  in  infancy,  he  bore 
with  Christian  submission.  For  several  years,  his 
family  consisted,  besides  the  partner  of  his  life,  of 
an  only  son  and  an  only  daughter.  The  former, 
after  a  lingering  illness,  at  a  most  interesting  age, 
he  meekly  resigned  to  the  grave,  without  a  murmur ; 
and  the  latter,  a  confirmed  invalid,  has  long  been 
the  object  of  his  tender  care,  and  still  lives  to 
mourn  the  loss  of  one  of  the  best,  one  of  the  most 
attentive  fathers.  I  have  been  with  our  friend  in 
all  these  domestic  trials,  and  I  can  bear  testimony 


THE  GOOD  AND  FAITHFUL  SERVANT.       331 

to  the  Christian  meekness  and  exemplary  patience 
with  which  he  has  borne  them. 

His  parochial  trials,  too,  he  endured  with  the 
same  meek,  and  quiet,  and  gentle  spirit.  I  would 
fain  pass  over  this  portion  of  his  life  without  par- 
ticular notice,  as  it  is  attended  with  so  many  painful 
associations ;  but  justice  to  his  memory,  and  the 
development  of  his  character  in  an  interesting  point 
of  light,  compels  me  to  notice  it. 

In  all  the  circumstances  attending  his  exclusion 
from  the  other  house  of  worship,  and  the  erection 
of  this  building,  he  exhibited  a  truly  Christian  spirit. 
His  trials,  in  the  course  of  that  unhappy  controversy, 
were  painful  and  severe ;  but  he  did  not  murmur 
nor  complain.  He  continued  to  manifest  towards 
those  who  differed  from  him  in  religious  opinions, 
and  who  wished  to  exclude  him  from  the  sanctuary, 
the  same  kind,  and  yielding,  and  forgiving  spirit. 
He  always  considered  himself  as  the  pastor  of  the 
church,  and  minister  of  the  society,  over  which 
he  was  originally  ordained  ;  and  was  always  ready, 
when  called  upon,  to  perform  the  duties  pertain- 
ing to  that  office.*  He  never  indulged  in  any 
remarks   unfavorable    to    those   who  differed   from 


*  He  was  dismissed  from  the  first  parish  in  Milton,  by  an  Ex-parle 
Council,  January  (),  1834.  The  authority  of  this  Council  he  never 
acknowledged,  and  did  not  regard  himself  bound  by  its  result.     Hp 


332  SERMON    III. 

him  ;  but  whenever  he  spoke  of  them,  it  was  with 
kindness  and  affection.  The  controversy  had  in 
a  great  measure  subsided.  This  convenient  and 
pleasant  house  had  been  erected  by  the  churchy 
who  unanimously  adhered  to  their  beloved  pastor, 
through  all  his  trials ;  and  there  was  every  prospect, 
that  the  evening  of  his  days  would  be  tranquil  and 
happy.  But  God's  ways  are  not  as  our  ways, 
nor  his  thoughts  as  our  thoughts.  He  had  other 
employment  for  his  good  and  faithful  servant. 
Having  been  faithful  over  a  few  things,  he  is 
made  ruler  over  many  things,  and  entered  the  joy 
of  his  Lord. 

And  why  should  we  mourn  ?  Why  should  we 
wish  him  to  return  to  share  with  us  in  the  trials 
of  this  sublunary  scene  ?  We  know  that  it  is  all 
selfishness  ;  but,  alas !  we  are  selfish  creatures.  It 
is  hard  to  part  with  those  we  love.  We  cling 
even  to  their  dust. 

The  bereaved  and  afflicted  widow,*  and  the  only 

never  considered  that  he  unreasonably  refused  a  Mutual  Council, 
which  unreasonable  refusal  is  necessary,  accordinor  to  the  decisions 
of  the  Massachusetts  Judiciary,  to  make  the  result  of  an  Ex-parte 
Council  valid. 

*  Soon  after  his  settlement  in  Milton,  Mr.  Gile  was  married  to 
Miss  Mary  Henley  White,  daughter  of  the  late  Isaac  White,  Esq., 
of  Salem,  Mass. 


THE   GOOD  AND  FAITHFUL  SERVANT.       333 

daughter,  in  her  weak  and  suffering  state,  claim  and 
receive  a  large  share  in  our  tender  sympathy.  Their 
breach  is  great  like  the  sea,  and  He  alone  who  hath 
made  the  breach  can  heal  it.  To  God,  then  —  their 
covenant-keeping  God — we  commend  them.  May 
he  sustain  them  in  this  hour  of  their  deep  afflic- 
tion !  They  may  also  rest  assured  of  the  most 
tender  sympathy  from  the  ministerial  brethren,  with 
whom  the  departed  was  so  long  and  so  intimately 
connected.*  They  will  never  forget  his  widow 
and  his  fatherless  child  ;  but,  in  every  way  in 
their  power,  it  will  be  their  privilege  and  duty  to 
console  them. 

Nor  will  this  beloved  church  and  society  cease 
to  remember  them,  and  to  provide  for  their  comfort 
and  support.  They  are  a  legacy  left  them  by  one 
whom  they  can  never  cease  to  venerate  and  love. 
Oh !  could  he  have  been  permitted  to  speak,  when 
his  weeping  family  and  weeping  people  gathered 
around  his  dying  couch,  he  might  have  addressed 
them  in  language  somewhat  similar  to  that  of  his 
dying  Saviour,  who,  as  he  agonized  on   the  cross, 

*  Dr.  Gile  was  a  member  of  the  Norfolk  Association  of  Ministers, 
and  was  the  first  (who  sustained  a  pastoral  charge)  that  has  died, 
since  the  formation  of  the  Association  in  1811.  His  surviving 
brethren,  nineteen  in  number,  have  agreed  to  supply  the  pulpit,  in 
rotation,  for  the  benefit  of  his  widow. 


334  SERMON   III. 

when  he  saw  his  mother  and  the  disciple  standing 
by  whom  he  loved,  said  unto  his  mother,  '  Woman, 
behold  thj  son.  Then  saith  he  to  the  disciple. 
Behold  thy  mother.  And  from  that  hour  that  dis- 
ciple took  her  unto  his  own  home.'  Here  are  many 
disciples,  whom  their  pastor  loved ;  and  we  are 
persuaded  that  his  bereaved  widow  and  fatherless 
child  will  never  want  a  home  in  their  affections 
and  in  their  sympathies. 

My  beloved  friends  of  this  church  and  congre- 
gation,— to  you  this  solemn  dispensation  of  divine 
Providence  is  deeply  affecting.  Many  of  you  were 
admitted  to  the  fellowship  of  the  church  during 
the  ministry  of  your  late  pastor,  and  you  will  ever 
regard  him  as  your  spiritual  father.  You  have 
passed  with  him  through  peculiar  trials,  and  they 
have  served  to  strengthen  and  cement  the  ties 
which  have  bound  you  together.  You  have  rejoiced 
in  his  growing  reputation  and  increasing  usefulness. 
Perhaps  there  never  was  a  time  when  your  beloved 
minister  was  more  engaged  in  his  work,  than  at  the 
time  of  his  removal  from  you.  His  fervent  prayers, 
during  the  last  week,  for  a  revival  of  religion, — if 
not  by  his  instrumentality,  in  any  way  which 
might  seem  good  to  the  great  Head  of  the  church, 
— those  who  heard  them  will  never  forget.     Ah  ! 


THE  GOOD  AND  FAITHFUL  SERVANT.       335 

little  did  you  think  that  they  were  to  be  answered 
in  such  a  way ;  that  the  Lord  had  no  more  work 
for  him  to  do  on  earth,  and  that  it  was  reserved 
for  another  to  reap  where  he  has  soivn,  O  God ! 
how  unsearchable  are  thy  judgments,  and  thy  ways 
past  finding  out.  Even  so.  Father,  for  so  it  seemeth 
good  in  thy  sight ! 

And  now  what  remains,  my  friends,  but  to  imitate 
the  example  of  your  beloved  pastor, — to  be  follow- 
ers of  him,  as  he  was  of  Christ,  A  safer,  a  more 
perfect  human  example,  it  will  be  difficult  to  find. 
All  will  be  constrained  to  admit  the  truth  of  this 
remark,  who  had  the  opportunity  of  knowing  him. 
Personal  enemies,  I  may  say,  he  had  none ;  and 
the  enemies  of  the  truth  which  he  preached,  cannot 
but  acknowledge  that  he  was  sincere^  conscientious^ 
and  consistent.  His  memory  will  be  held  in  grate- 
ful remembrance,  by  the  inhabitants  of  this  ancient 
and  respectable  town,  of  every  political  and  religious 
sect.  There  will  be  but  one  opinion  respecting  his 
character,  and  that  will  be,  that  he  was  a  good 
man,  and  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and  of  faith ;  that 
he  was  an  Israelite  indeed,  in  whom  there  was  no 
guile. 

Being  dead,  he  will  long  continue  to  speak  by 
his   luminous   example.      Fathers   will    delight   to 


336  SERMON  III. 

hold  him  up  to  their  children,  as  a  pattern  for  their 
imitation.  His  opinions  will  be  regarded  as  almost 
approaching  to  sacred  authority,  in  times  of  future 
excitement;  and  even  those  who  disregarded  and 
forsook  his  ministrations  when  living,  shall  be 
convinced  that  a  prophet  has  been  among  them. 
"  His  work  on  earth  is  now  done,  and  his  body 
will  go  to  its  repose  in  the  dust ;  but  the  memorial 
of  his  name  and  of  his  good  deeds,  will  be  still 
fresh  as  the  morning  breeze,  and  fragrant  as  the 
flower  of  spring."  Even  in  this  world  his  works 
shall  follow  him  ;  and  even  here  he  shall  receive 
the  plaudits  of  his  fellow-men.  But  what  are 
these  to  the  plaudit  of  his  Judge  ? — "  Well  done, 
thou  good  and  faithful  servant ;  thou  hast  been 
faithful  over  a  few  things,  I  will  make  thee  ruler 
over  many  things :  enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy 
Lord." 

"  Servant  of  God,  well  done  ! 
Rest  from  thy  loved  employ ; 
The  battle  fought — ^the  victory  won, 
Enter  thy  Master's  joy. 

Tranquil  amidst  alarms, 

It  found  him  on  the  field, 
A  veteran,  clad  with  heavenly  arms, 

And  with  his  red  cross  shield. 


THE  GOOD  AND  FAITHFUL  SERVANT.       337 

His  sword  was  in  his  hand, 

Still  warm  with  recent  fight; 
Ready  that  moment,  at  command. 

Through  rock  and  steel  to  smite. 

At  noon-day  came  the  cry, 

'  To  meet  thy  God,  prepare ; ' 
He  heard,  and  caught  his  Captain's  eye, — 

Then  strong  in  faith  and  prayer, 

His  spirit,  with  a  bound, 

Left  its  encumbering  clay  ; 
His  tent,  at  sunset,  on  the  ground 

A  darkened  ruin  lay. 

The  pains  of  death  are  past. 

Labor  and  sorrow  cease ; 
And  life's  long  warfare  closed  at  last, 

His  soul  is  found  in  peace. 

Soldier  of  Christ,  well  done  ; 

Praise  be  thy  new  employ  ; 
And  while  eternal  ages  run. 

Rest  in  thy  Saviour's  joy." 


SERMON   lY 


THE    SIGNS    OF    THE    TIMES 


Delivered  before  the  Pastoral  Association  of  Massachusetts,  in  Park-street  Church,  Boston, 
May  24,  1836. 


MATTHEW  XVI.  3. 

CAN  YE   NOT  DISCERN   THE   SIGNS   OF   THE    TIMES. 

My  respected  Fathers  and  beloved  Brethren  : 

In  addressing  you  on  this  occasion,  I  feel 
deeply  impressed  with  a  sense  of  the  solemn 
responsibility  imposed  by  the  duty  I  am  called  upon, 
in  the  providence  of  God,  to  perform.  Under 
any  circumstances,  to  the  conscientious  minister, 
preaching  must  always  be  regarded,  with  unaffected 
seriousness  and  trembling  solicitude,  as  the  great 
ordinance  of  God  in  the  conversion  of  the  world. 
To  give  to  every  one  a  portion  in  due  season, 
to  warn  the  sinner  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to 
come,  and  to  comfort  and  establish  the  people  of 
God,  though   the  ordinary  duties  of  the  Christian 


THE  SIGNS  OF  THE  TIMES.  339 

minister,  are  not  on  that  account  the  less  solemn 
and  important.  Who  of  my  brethren  present  has 
not  felt  a  pressure  of  mind  in  selecting,  on  the 
most  common  occasion,  a  subject  appropriate  to 
the  wants  of  the  flock  committed  to  his  pastoral 
care?  —  and  who  does  not  sympathize  with  the 
preacher,  when  called  to  address  a  body  of  men 
who  sustain,  themselves,  the  pastoral  office,  and 
at  whose  feet  he  would  willingly  sit,  to  receive 
that  instruction  which  he  is  expected  to  give? 

Pertinency  to  the  occasion  has  always  appeared 
to  me  of  the  first  importance  in  the  selection  of 
a  subject.  Were  I  to  address  a  congregation  of 
impenitent  sinners,  I  would  urge  upon  them  the 
duty  of  immediate  repentance  and  faith  in  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Were  I  addressing  the  pro- 
fessed disciples  of  the  Saviour,  I  would  inculcat 
the  necessity  of  personal  holiness  and  growth  in 
grace.  But,  called  upon  as  I  am  at  this  time  to 
preach  to  ministers^  to  the  pastors  of  the  evangelical 
Congregational  churches  of  this  Commonwealth, 
I  know  of  no  subject  more  appropriate  than  a 
consideration  of  some  of  the  peculiarities  of  the 
times  in  which  we  live,  and  of  the  appropriate 
duties  which  these  peculiarities  impose  upon  min- 
isters of  the  gospel. 


340  SERMON  IV. 

I  am  aware  that  I  have  selected  a  subject  of 
no  little  delicacy,  and  no  inconsiderable  difficulty. 
A  subject  to  which  I  feel  incompetent,  in  a  single 
discourse,  to  do  that  justice  which  it  demands. 
But  its  importance  has  of  late  pressed  so  deeply 
on  my  own  mind,  that  I  have  felt  constrained  to 
select  it  for  the  consideration  of  my  fathers  and 
brethren,  with  the  hope  that  it  may  be  in  some 
humble  degree  useful  in  discovering  that  path  of 
duty,  which  it  is  desirable  for  myself,  as  well  as 
my  brethren,  to  pursue,  in  these  trying  and  eventful 
times. 

The  words  of  the  text,  and  the  connection  in 
which  they  stand  in  the  chapter  from  which  they 
are  taken,  are  so  familiar  to  my  hearers,  that  it 
is  unnecessary  to  enlarge  upon  them.  They  are 
adopted  rather  as  a  motto,  to  lead  our  thoughts  to 
the  subject  I  have  announced,  than  as  containing 
in  themselves  any  distinct  topic  for  discussion  or 
application.  Permit  me,  then,  in  the  following 
discourse  to  call  your  attention, 

I.  To  SOME  OF  THE  PECULIARITIES  OF  THE 
TIMES     IN    WHICH    WE    LIVE.       And, 

II.  To  THE  APPROPRIATE  DUTIES,  WHICH  THESE 
PECULIARITIES  IMPOSE  UPON  THE  PASTORS  OF  THE 
CHURCHES    IN    OUR    CONNECTION. 


THE  SIGNS  OF  THE  TIMES.  341 

In  directing  your  attention  to  some  of  the  signs 
of  our  times,  I  shall  confine  my  remarks  to  those 
points  which  more  immediately  concern  the  church 
of  God,  and  the  ministry  of  reconciliation. 

I  leave  to  others  the  consideration  of  the  political 
aspect  of  the  times, — a  subject,  indeed,  of  no  ordi- 
nary interest,  but  more  adapted  to  the  genius  of 
the  civilian,  than  to  the  taste  of  the  minister  of 
Him  '  v^hose  kingdom  is  not  of  this  w^orld.'  It 
was  the  preaching  of  those,  who  stepped  out  of 
their  sphere  by  dwelling  upon  the  political  char- 
acter of  the  times,  that  Robert  Leighton  rebuked, 
when  he  said  :  "  While  so  many  preach  upon  the 
times,  one  poor  brother  may  be  allowed  to  preach 
upon  eternity."  It  is  because  of  the  bearing  of 
some  of  the  signs  of  our  times  upon  the  spiritual 
and  eternal  interests  of  men  ;  and,  more  particularly, 
upon  our  own  individual  and  professional  duties, 
that  I  am  anxious  to  direct  your  attention  to  this 
subject  on  the  present  occasion. 

In  remarking  upon  the  peculiarities  of  our  times, 
I  shall  restrict  myself  to  that  view  of  the  subject 
which  has  a  direct  and  immediate  influence  upon 
the  appropriate  duties  of  the  pastors  of  our 
churches. 

That  a  new  and  different  aspect  has  been  giveii 


342  SERMON  IV. 

to  the  state  of  opinion  and  action  in  this  section 
of  the  church,  within  a  few  years  past,  will  not, 
I  presume,  be  questioned  by  any  accurate  observer 
of  the  signs  of  the  times.  Within  the  memory  of 
the  preacher,  great  changes  have  taken  place  on 
these  subjects  in  this  Commonwealth,  and  through- 
out our  land — changes  which  most  intimately  affect 
the  state  of  religion  and  the  duties  of  its  ministers. 
Our  younger  brethren  would  scarcely  credit  the 
facts  that  might  be  communicated  on  this  subject 
by  those  who  have  been  eye-witnesses  of  these 
changes.  With  this  consecrated  place,  where  so 
many  pastors  of  the  churches  are  now  assembled 
to  pay  their  vows  unto  the  Most  High,  are  many 
of  these  changes  associated.  Comparatively  few 
and  feeble  were  the  little  band  who,  in  those  days, 
gathered  around  the  cause  of  evangelical  truth, 
and,  in  their  weakness,  but  relying  on  Almighty 
strength,  laid  the  foundation  of  this  spacious  edifice. 
Those  were  days  which  tried  men's  souls.  They 
were  days  of  controversy,  but  it  was  a  controversy 
with  those  who  had  departed  from  *  the  faith  once 
delivered  to  the  saints.'  They  were  days  of  com- 
parative weakness ;  for  God  had  not  then  exten- 
sively poured  out  the  influences  of  his  Holy  Spirit, 
and    blessed    our   churches   with  powerful  revivals 


THE  SIGNS  OF  THE  TIMES.  343 

of  religion.  They  were  times  of  limited  effort ;  for 
the  claims  of  the  heathen  at  home  and  abroad, 
the  wants  of  the  feeble  and  destitute  of  Christ's 
flock,  and  the  various  benevolent  objects  which 
constitute  the  glory  of  our  times,  were  not  then 
heard  in  the  length  and  breadth  of  our  land, 
through  the  medium  of  a  thousand  presses,  and 
from  the  mouths  of  innumerable  living  agents. 
To  those  of  us  who  remember  the  days  of  former 
years,  the  change  appears  great  indeed.  We  have 
now  fallen  upon  other  times, — in  many  respects, 
better  times,  but  not  without  their  peculiar  dangers 
and  liabilities  to  abuse. 

The  times  in  which  we  live,  my  brethren,  appear 
to  me  to  be  distinguished  for  excitement.  The 
spiritual  appetite  seems  to  have  changed,  and,  not 
content  with  the  plain  and  wholesome  food  which 
satisfied  our  fathers,  appears  to  crave  viands  more 
highly  seasoned,  and  more  richly  varied. 

There  seems  to  be  an  analogy  between  the 
improvements  of  the  age  in  the  mechanical  arts 
and  in  our  moral  and  religious  movements.  At  the 
present  period,  distance  seems  nearly  annihilated  ; 
and  by  the  wonderful  power  of  art,  we  pass,  almost 
with  the  rapidity  of  the  wind,  from  city  to  city, 
through  our  widely-extended  land,  and  may  soon 


344  SERMON  IV. 

expect  to  cross  oceans  and  traverse  continents  with 
as  much  ease  as  our  ancestors  crossed  the  rivers 
and  hills  of  their  native  State.  It  is  true,  now 
and  then,  a  boiler  bursts,  and  a  number  of  precious 
lives  are  lost  bj  the  explosion ;  or  in  some  of  our 
western  waters,  while  the  majestic  steamer  is  pass- 
ing on  its  high  pressure,  with  almost  incredible 
swiftness,  its  progress  is  instantly  arrested  by  some 
concealed  and  fatal  obstruction,  and  the  souls  who 
had  committed  themselves  to  its  guidance,  are  pre- 
cipitated in  a  moment  into  eternity.  The  accurate 
observer  of  our  times  needs  not,  I  think,  to  be 
reminded  of  the  analogy. 

Improvements  the  most  valuable,  it  will  be 
readily  admitted,  have  been  introduced  into  our 
methods  of  conducting  our  moral  and  religious 
enterprises.  The  wonderful  power  of  the  press, 
has  been  made  to  bear  upon  these  enterprises 
with  signal  success.  Knowledge  has  been  ex- 
tended with  astonishing  rapidity.  The  means  of 
religious  instruction  have  been  greatly  blessed  by 
the  Spirit  of  God;  and  in  many  parts  of  our 
land,  the  most  powerful  revivals  of  religion  have 
been  extensively  enjoyed. 

But  is  it  not  a  fact,  my  brethren,  that  some 
unhappy  mixture  of   human    depravity  and   selfish 


THE  SIGNS  OF  THE  TIMES.  345 

and  unsanctified  excitement  has  been  blended 
with  that  which  is  spiritual  and  holy  ?  Under 
the  idea,  which  at  first  may  have  been  enter- 
tained with  sincerity,  of  being  co-workers  with 
the  eternal  God  in  the  conversion  of  the  world, 
has  not  an  impulse  been  sometimes  given  to 
our  religious  movements  by  the  hand  of  man, 
other  than  the  Spirit  of  God  would  approve  ? 
In  carrying  forward  the  great  operations  of  the 
church,  has  not  a  system  of  high  pressure 
sometimes  been  introduced,  which  has  endan- 
gered the  safety  of  the  church,  and  by  its 
re-action  or  explosion,  retarded  the  conversion  of 
the  world  ?  '  I  speak  unto  wise  men — judge  ye 
what  I  say.' 

Another  peculiarity  of  our  times  to  which  I 
would  call  your  attention,  is  the  success  attending 
the  exertions  in  the  cause  of  moral  reform. 

Every  friend  of  religion  and  humanity  must  re- 
joice in  the  signal  triumph  of  these  efforts.  The 
Temperance  reformation,  in  particular,  has  con- 
stituted an  era  which  will  be  regarded  by  after 
ages  as  one  of  the  brightest  in  the  history  of  our 
country. 

Other  objects  of  moral  reform  have  successfully 
engaged  the  attention  of  the  friends  of  philanthropy 

44 


346  SERMON    IV. 

and  the  rights  of  man ;  but,  if  the  preacher  does 
not  much  mistake,  there  is  a  tendency  to  extremes 
in  carrying  into  operation  principles  of  acknowl- 
edged and  unquestionable  importance.  There  is 
a  certain  recklessness  of  consequences,  character- 
istic of  the  times  in  which  we  live,  which  seems 
to  set  at  defiance  the  cool  judgment  of  thinking 
men.  On  this  subject  it  is  unnecessary  to  enlarge. 
It  is  introduced  merely  with  a  design  to  prepare 
the  way  for  the  consideration  of  the  appropriate 
duties  which  such  a  state  of  things  imposes  upon 
the  pastors  of  the  churches.  Connected  with  this 
is  a  spirit  of  censoriousness  and  denunciation,  which 
unhappily  exists  to  an  alarming  degree  among  us. 
Not  content  with  pursuing  a  course  of  measures 
to  a  point  which  others  may  consider  as  extreme, 
there  is  a  disposition,  too  apparent,  to  censure  and 
condemn  those  who,  although  they  may  agree  in 
great  and  fundamental  principles,  are  not  prepared 
to  go  to  the  same  extent  in  their  application. 

Another  of  the  peculiarities  of  our  times,  to 
which  I  must  solicit  your  attention,  is  a  spirit  of 
innovation  and  change,  and  love  of  novelty,  I 
would  not  plead  for  a  blind  attachment  to  creeds 
and  confessions  of  faith.  They  are  not,  I  readily 
admit,  like  the  Word  of  God,  the  infallible  stand- 


THE   SIGNS   OF  THE  TIMES.  347 

ard  of  our  faith ;  and  perhaps  we  have  reason  to 
rejoice  that  the  churches  of  our  connection  are 
not,  like  those  of  some  of  our  sister  denominations, 
bound  together  by  any  one  confession  of  faith, 
however  excellent  it  may  be.  But  still  there  is  no 
little  danger  of  abusing  our  liberty  by  a  departure 
from  the  form  of  sound  words,  so  long  and  so  gen- 
erally received  by  the  churches  of  the  Reformation, 
and  by  an  introduction  of  new  doctrines,  or  rather 
new  views  of  old  doctrines,  which  the  Fathers  of 
the  Reformation,  and  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  of  New 
England  would  have  regarded,  to  say  the  leasts 
with  much  jealousy  and  distrust. 

Is  there  not  danger,  my  respected  brethren,  of 
removing  the  landmarks  which  our  fathers  have 
set— of  weakening,  in  our  zeal  for  philosophical 
speculations,  our  confidence  in  those  old-fashioned, 
but  not  on  that  account  less  important,  doctrines 
of  our  intimate  connection  with  the  progenitors 
of  our  race  and  the  Redeemer  of  our  souls, — 
*' the  Lord  our  righteousness?"  If  not  openly 
denied,  are  not  these  precious  articles  of  "  the 
faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints,"  explained  away 
by  learned  criticism,  or  made  too  little  prominent 
in  our  discourses  from  the  pulpit  ?  Are  we  not 
in    danger,  in  our  zeal  for  pressing  the   necessity 


348  SERMON  IV. 

of  the  sinner's  immediate  repentance  and  submission 
to  God,  of  undervaluing  the  righteousness  of  Him 
who  is  exalted  a  Prince  and  a  Saviour,  to  give 
repentance  to  Israel  and  remission  of  sins  ?  and 
of  losing  sight  of  our  dependence  on  the  influence 
of  that  Divine  Agent,  who  alone  can  '  take  away 
the  heart  of  stone  and  give  the  heart  of  flesh,' 
and  make  us  ^willing  in  the  day  of  his  power?' 
Are  we  not  in  danger  of  forgetting  that  '  by  the 
deeds  of  the  law,  no  flesh  shall  be  justified,'  and 
thus  undervaluing  that  important  doctrine  of  justi- 
fication by  faith  alone,  which  Luther  pronounced  to 
be  the  "  articulus  stantis  vel  cadentis  ecclesice,^^ 

Another  peculiarity  of  our  times  is  a  spirit  of 
restlessness  and  uneasiness,  which  seems  to  pervade 
alike  the  ministry  and  the  churches. 

Time  was,  when  there  was  a  permanency  at- 
tached to  the  pastoral  office,  which  was  alike 
honorable  to  the  ministry  and  to  the  people. 
Many  were  the  pastors,  who,  like  Goldsmith's 
Vicar,  "ne'er  had  changed,  nor  wished  to  change 
their  place."  In  the  quiet  and  unobtrusive  dis- 
charge of  their  ministerial  duties,  they  passed  the 
years  of  their  pilgrimage  in  one  spot,  blessing 
and  blessed.  But,  in  this  active  and  stirring  age, 
such   a    happy   spectacle    is    rarely   to    be   found. 


THE   SIGNS  OF  THE  TIMES.  349 

Whether  the  frequent  removal  of  pastors  is  de- 
sirable or  not,  we  will  not  stop  to  inquire ;  or 
whether  the  fault,  if  it  is  one,  is  in  the  ministry, 
or  in  the  churches,  or  in  both,  we  will  not  pre- 
tend to  decide ;  but  we  cannot  but  deprecate  the 
practice,  which  is  becoming  very  common  in  our 
churches,  of  settling  their  pastors  for  a  limited 
period.  It  is,  in  our  judgment,  calculated  to  lessen 
the  influence  of  the  pastor,  and  to  restrict  his 
usefulness.  When  a  minister  is  introduced  into 
the  pastoral  office,  it  is  desirable  that  the  people 
should  feel  that  the  relation  is  permanent ;  and 
that  nothing  but  circumstances  of  paramount  and 
imperious  necessity  should  be  permitted  to  sever 
the  tie  that  has  been  thus  solemnly  formed.  Nor 
is  this  spirit  of  restlessness  and  uneasiness  con- 
fined to  the  frequent  removals  and  dismissions 
of  ministers.  It  may  be  noticed,  also,  in  the 
members  of  the  churches.  There  is,  in  too  many 
instances,  a  love  of  novelty  and  excitement,  and 
a  disposition  to  leave  the  stated  labors  of  the 
faithful  pastor,  for  the  more  stirring  and  exciting 
appeals  of  the  itinerant  evangelist,  or  the  eloquent 
declaimer,  or  the  proselyting  sectarian. 

I    hasten    to   notice,    in    the    last   place,   as  one 
of  the  signs  of  our  times,   the  spirit  of  religious 


350  SERMON  IV. 

controversy  and  separation  that  threatens  the  peace 
and  unity  of  some  portions  of  the  American  church. 
No  accurate  and  serious  observer  of  the  times  in 
which  we  live  can  have  regarded  the  present 
unhappy  divisions  that  exist  in  a  kindred  denom- 
ination, towards  whom  we  delight  to  cherish  the 
most  respectful  and  fraternal  feelings,  without  the 
deepest  anxiety  and  concern.  It  does  not  be- 
come us,  nor  would  it  accord  with  our  feelings,  to 
express  any  opinion  on  the  merits  of  that  painful 
controversy,  which  now  agitates  that  large  and 
respectable  body  of  our  fellow  Christians ;  but 
we  may  be  allowed  to  learn  wisdom  from  their 
experience,  and  to  profit  by  their  example.  It 
is  a  subject  of  sincere  and  cordial  congratulation, 
that,  notwithstanding  the  difference  of  opinion 
that  may  perhaps  exist  on  speculative  points  of 
theology,  there  continues  among  the  pastors  of 
the  evangelical  Congregational  churches  in  this 
Commonwealth,  uninterrupted  union  and  cordiality 
of  feeling.  May  the  Great  Head  of  the  church 
grant  that  it  may  be  perpetual,  and  that  « no 
root  of  bitterness  may  be  suffered  to  spring  up  to 
trouble  us,  and  thereby  many  be  defiled.'  Under 
the  blessing  of  God,  it  is  evident  that  much  will 
depend    upon    the    pastors   of  the  churches  them- 


THE   SIGNS   OF  THE   TIMES.  351 

selves,  whether  their  present  union  and  prosperity 
shall  continue,  or  whether  they  shall  be  rent  with 
divisions,  and  become  a  prey  to  some  of  those 
evils  which  have  passed  under  review. 

My  brethren  will  therefore  bear  with  me  a  little 
longer,  while  I  proceed  as  1  proposed,  in  the  second 
place  —  To   consider   some  of  the  appropriate 

DUTIES,  WHICH  THE  PECULIARITIES  OF  THE  TIMES 
impose  upon  THE  PASTORS  OF  THE  CHURCHES  IN 
OUR    CONNECTION. 

That  the  times  in  which  we  live  are  difficult 
and  trying,  and  call  for  no  ordinary  degree  of 
grace  and  wisdom,  will  not  be  doubted.  Some 
of  the  peculiarities  to  which  we  have  alluded, 
may  perhaps  have  a  tendency  to  excite  disgust, 
and  produce  a  spirit  of  reaction  in  reflecting  and 
sensitive  minds.  Against  this  tendency  we  cannot 
too  carefully  guard.  We  ought  to  remember  that, 
while  in  the  present  aspect  of  the  times  there 
are  some  things  to  be  deplored  and  to  be  avoided, 
there  are  many  more  things  to  excite  congratulation 
and  encouragement.  We  live,  it  is  true,  in  a  day 
of  excitement  and  commotion  ;  but  it  is  a  day, 
also,  of  hope  for  the  rapid  advancement  of  the 
Redeemer's  kingdom.  We  must  be  content  to 
bear  with  some  things  that  are  trying  to  our  sen- 


352  SERMON   IV. 

sibilities,  for  the  sake  of  the  greater  good  that  may 
arise  out  of  others.  Let  us  not,  then,  my  brethren, 
give  way  to  disgust,  and,  because  everything  is 
not  conducted  according  to  our  taste  and  sense  of 
propriety,  retire  from  the  scene  of  action,  or  seek 
relief  in  other  connections,  or  in  other  pursuits ; — 
but  let  us  stand  in  our  lot,  and  be  stimulated  by 
those  very  things  which  try  our  patience,  to  increas- 
ing fidelity  and  diligence  in  the  Master's  service. 

The  peculiarities  of  our  times  call  for  great 
firmness  and  steadiness  of  purpose^  in  the  pastors 
of  the  churches.  When  a  youthful  pastor,  full  of 
ardor  and  religious  projects,  applied  for  advice  to 
a  neighboring  clergyman,  a  little  more  advanced 
in  years  and  experience  than  himself,  he  received 
this  memorable  counsel,  contained  in  one  word, 
thrice  repeated  :  —  Steady^  steady^  steady.  It  is 
apprehended  that  there  never  was  a  time  when 
this  advice  was  more  necessary  than  at  the  present 
period.  Much  depends  upon  the  pastors  of  the 
churches  to  regulate  the  religious  movements  of 
the  day.  They  are  the  divinely-constituted  leaders 
of  the  flock.  No  one  more  sincerely  rejoices  than 
the  preacher  in  the  active  and  zealous  and  untiring 
efforts  made  by  the  members  of  the  churches,  in 
these  times,  in  promoting  revivals  of  religion,  and 


THE  SIGNS   OF  THE  TIMES.  353 

in  advancing  the  benevolent  enterprises  of  the  day. 
They  are  the  Aarons  and  Hurs,  without  v^^hose 
aid  the  hands  of  many  a  faithful  pastor  would 
hang  down,  and  his  heart  be  discouraged.  The 
unwearied  labors  of  our  lay  brethren  are  the  bones 
and  the  sinews  of  our  ecclesiastical  body.  Happy 
is  that  pastor  who  is  supported  by  their  influence 
and  animated  by  their  zealous  co-operation.  But 
it  will  not  be  denied,  that  in  the  economy  of  the 
church  much  is  expected  of  the  pastor  in  the 
personal  oversight  of  the  flock  committed  to  his 
charge.  He  may,  and  he  will  delight  to  avail 
himself  of  the  assistance  and  efforts  of  the  brethren 
in  the  discharge  of  some  of  his  pastoral  duties ; 
but  he  ought  not  to  forget  that  he  is  himself  the 
under-shepherd  of  the  flock,  and  that  there  are 
duties  peculiarly  and  appropriately  his  own. 

Independence  of  mind  and  action  is  another  duty 
which  the  present  aspect  of  the  times  demands  of 
the  pastors  of  the  churches.  I  am  far  from  wishing 
to  inculcate  upon  my  brethren  an  opinionative, 
dogmatic,  or  unyielding  spirit.  The  faithful  pastor 
will  endeavor,  like  the  great  Apostle,  "  to  become 
all  things  to  all  men  ;  "  to  yield  his  own  opinion 
and  to  sacrifice  his  own  feelings  in  everything 
in  which  the  vital  interests  of  the  church  are  not 


354  SERMON  IV. 

concerned,  for  the  sake  of  peace  and  union.  But 
there  is  a  point,  beyond  which  he  cannot  and 
ought  not  to  go.  When  he  is  required  to  sanction 
principles  and  measures  which  his  conscience  does 
not  approve  by  his  example  and  influence,  he  ought 
to  have  independence  enough  to  have  an  opinion 
of  his  own,  and  to  express  that  opinion  on  all 
proper  occasions. 

I  am  aware  that  such  a  course  requires  no 
little  degree  of  independence,  and  may  expose  the 
faithful  pastor  to  many  difficulties  and  embarrass- 
ments. The  temptation  to  espouse  the  popular 
side,  although  in  his  judgment  it  may  not  be  the 
correct  one,  is  strong  and  powerful.  We  all  know 
that  it  is  much  easier  to  swim  with  the  tide  than 
to  stem  the  current.  And  perhaps  the  love  of 
popularity,  however  we  may  disguise  it,  is  a  be- 
setting sin  with  ministers  of  the  gospel. 

A  great,  and  in  itself  laudable,  desire  to  please, 
sometimes  blinds  the  devoted  pastor,  and  prevents 
him  from  discerning  the  path  of  his  duty.  But 
while,  like  the  Apostle,  he  will  endeavor  ''  to 
please  all  men  in  all  things,  not  seeking  his  own 
profit,  but  the  profit  of  many,  that  they  may  be 
saved,"  there  will  be  occasions  when,  with  the 
same  Apostle,  he  may  be  constrained  to  say,  "  Do 


THE   SIGNS   OF  THE  TIMES.  355 

I  now  persuade  men  or  God,  or  do  I  seek  to  please 
men  ?  for  if  I  seek  to  please  men,  I  should  not  be 
the  servant  of  Christ." 

The  times  demand  great  circumspection  and 
prudence  and  caution^  in  those  who  are  invested 
ivith  the  sacred  office,  ''Be  ye  wise  as  serpents," 
said  Jesus  to  his  Apostles,  when  he  sent  them 
forth  to  preach  the  gospel.  If  there  ever  was  a 
time,  since  the  days  of  the  Apostles,  w^hen  this 
direction  was  necessary,  it  appears  to  me  it 
is  at  the  present  period.  The  pastoral  office,  at 
any  time  and  under  any  circumstances,  demands 
great  prudence  and  circumspection  in  those  who 
are  intrusted  with  its  holy  functions.  Next  to 
piety,  prudence,  or  good  common  sense,  has  always 
appeared  to  me  the  most  iaiportant  qualification 
for  the  pastoral  office.  Good  talents  and  sound 
learning  are  desirable,  but  prudence  is  indispensa- 
ble. How  many,  especially  in  these  difficult  times 
when  a  man  is  sometimes  made  an  offender  by  a 
word,  are  the  occasions  for  the  exercise  of  pru- 
dence !  A  hasty  or  unguarded  expression,  a  rash 
or  ill-concerted  measure,  will  sometimes  lead  to  a 
train  of  consequences,  which  will  issue  in  the 
removal  of  a  pastor,  and  in  still  more  injurious 
influences  upon  the  church  of  God.     In  these  times, 


356  SERMON  IV. 

ministers  cannot  be  too  cautious  in  committing 
themselves  to  principles  or  measures  of  question- 
able expediency.  There  are  some  subjects  which, 
if  not  immediately  connected  with  pastoral  duties, 
it  may  be  safer  for  the  pastors  of  the  churches 
to  regard  with  the  eye  of  a  spectator  than  with 
the  warmth  and  zeal  of  an  enlisted  advocate. 

But,  while  the  times  require  great  caution  and 
prudence,  they  also  call  for  the  exercise  of  a  con- 
ciliating and  affectionate  spirit.  The  same  authority 
that  bade  the  Apostles  be  '  as  wise  as  serpents,' 
enjoined  them  to  be  '  as  harmless  as  doves.'  A 
meek  and  quiet,  a  gentle  and  affectionate  spirit,  is 
exceedingly  desirable  in  these  times  of  excitement, 
of  controversy,  and  severe  recrimination.  Such  a 
spirit,  the  pastors  of  the  churches  ought  to  culti- 
vate, as  the  best  antidote  against  the  censorious 
and  denunciatiory  spirit  of  the  times. 

Another  of  the  appropriate  duties  of  the  pastors 
of  the  churches,  imposed  by  the  peculiarities  of  the 
times,  is  the  faithful  and  discriminate  preaching  of 
the  doctrines  of  the  gospel,  I  know  of  no  better 
way  to  counteract  the  dangerous  errors  that  have 
been  broached  among  us,  than  by  the  faithful 
exhibition  of  divine  truth.  If  we  have  reason  to 
apprehend    that    there    has    been    a    tendency    to 


THE   SIGNS   OF  THE  TIMES.  367 

neglect  certain  great  peculiarities  of  the  Christian 
faith,  let  us  learn  from  our  mistakes  to  dwell  more 
upon  them  in  future,  to  exhibit  more  clearly  to 
our  people  the  ruined  condition  of  Adam'^s  race, 
and  the  only  way  in  which  sinners  can  be  saved 
through  the  righteousness  of  Jesus  Christ.  While 
we  would  call  no  man  master,  let  us  be  careful 
how  we  depart  from  that  system  of  faith  which 
was  the  glory  of  New  England  in  her  brightest 
day.  Let  us  beware  of  that  spirit  of  speculation 
and  novelty  which,  under  the  garb  of  critical 
research,  may  have  a  tendency  to  sap  the  founda- 
tions of  our  faith  in  some  of  the  most  precious 
doctrines  of  the  gospel.  Above  all,  let  us  adhere 
with  uncompromising  fidelity  to  the  oracles  of  truth, 
unshackled  by  the  commentaries  of  uninspired  and 
fallible  men. 

The  times  require  of  the  pastors  of  the  churches, 
particular  attention  to  pastoral  duties.  Among  the 
multiplied  and  diversified  objects  of  religious  and 
benevolent  enterprise  which  characterize  the  present 
day,  there  is  no  inconsiderable  danger  of  neglecting 
the  ordinary,  but  highly  important  duties  of  the 
pastoral  care.  Our  religious  and  benevolent  so- 
cieties have  claimed  too  much  of  the  time  and 
labors   of   stated  pastors.      The   practice  that  has 


358  SERMON  IV. 

SO  generally  prevailed,  of  calling  upon  the  pastors 
of  the  churches  to  manage  the  complicated  affairs 
of  these  institutions,  has  had  a  tendency  to  injure 
or  destroy  the  influence  of  some  valuable  ministers 
of  the  gospel  in  their  pastoral  relation.  While 
sustaining  this  relation,  the  ministers  of  Christ 
must  devote  themselves  exclusively  to  their  appro- 
priate work.  They  must  be  '  instant  in  season 
and  out  of  season,'  in  the  discharge  of  their 
pastoral  duties.  Not  only  *  in  the  temple,  but  in 
every  house,  they  must  not  cease  to  teach  and 
preach  Jesus  Christ.'  In  visiting  the  sick  and 
the  dying,  in  comforting  the  afflicted  and  the  sor- 
rowful, in  directing  the  inquiring  sinner  to  the 
way  of  salvation,  in  establishing  the  doubting  and 
desponding,  in  supporting  the  aged,  and  especially 
in  efforts  to  promote  the  religious  instruction  of 
the  young,  the  faithful  pastor  will  find  enough 
to  employ  his  head  and  his  hands,  and  have  but 
little  time  left  for  the  transaction  of  other  business, 
though  it  may  relate  to  the  concerns  of  the  church 
at  large.  Let  able  and  devoted  men  be  selected 
and  consecrated  for  the  special  service  of  directing 
and  managing  the  great  enterprises  of  the  day  ; 
but  let  the  pastors  of  the  churches  confine  them- 
selves to  their  appropriate  sphere,  and  feed  the 
sheep  and  the  lambs  of  their  flocks. 


THE  SIGNS   OF  THE  TIMES.  359 

The  peculiarities  of  the  times  require  of  the 
pastors  of  the  churches,  increasing  zeal,  activity, 
and  consecration  to  their  great  arid  appropriate 
work.  The  times,  we  have  seen,  are  distinguished 
for  excitement  and  for  zealous  efforts  in  the  great 
enterprises,  religious,  moral  and  benevolent,  of  the 
present  day.  Ministers  should  not  be  behind  the 
times ;  but,  while  they  exercise  a  sound  discretion, 
and  maintain  a  Christian  spirit,  they  should  be 
the  most  forward  in  promoting  the  great  objects  of 
benevolence,  which  are  the  glory  of  our  age. 
The  Missionary  enterprise,  foreign  and  domestic, 
the  Education,  Tract  and  Sabbath  School  opera- 
tions, and  the  circulation  of  the  Scriptures  at 
home  and  abroad,  will  receive  the  entire  appro- 
bation and  cordial  support  of  the  pastors  of  the 
churches ;  and  I  am  persuaded,  that  just  in  pro- 
portion as  these  benevolent  enterprises  engage 
the  attention  and  the  affections  of  ministers  and 
churches,  will  be  the  diminution  of  some  of  those 
evils  of  our  times,  at  which  we  have  glanced  in 
the  course  of  our  remarks. 

The  signs  of  our  times  call  for  deep,  humble 
and  devoted  piety  in  the  pastors  of  the  churches. 
This  is,  indeed,  a  requisition  indispensable  under 
any   circumstances   that   may    be    conceived;    but 


360  SERMON  IV, 

the  present  times  seem  to  me  peculiarly  to  re- 
quire a  deep-toned  pietj  in  the  ministers  of  the 
gospel.  Nothing  short  of  this  can  secure  the  pas- 
tors of  our  churches  from  becoming  a  prey  to  some 
of  those  evils  which  have  been  remarked  as  char- 
acteristic of  our  times.  To  the  naturally  proud 
heart  of  the  unsanctified  pastor,  nothing  can  be 
more  hazardous  than  the  spirit  of  excitement  and 
proneness  to  extremes  which  we  have  already 
noticed.  It  finds  a  ready  admission  into  his  un- 
holy bosom,  and  kindles  there  a  flame  of  animal 
enthusiasm  which  urges  him  on  to  unrestrained 
irregularities  and  extravagance.  Nor  is  the  love 
of  novelty  and  innovation,  which  we  have  remarked 
as  characteristic  of  our  times,  less  dangerous  to 
the  unsanctified  pastor.  It  finds  in  him  that  prone- 
ness to  Mean  to  his  own  understanding,'  and  that 
desire  to  be  '  wise  above  what  is  written,-  so 
congenial  to  the  natural  heart.  When  I  have 
trembled  at  the  tendency  to  philosophical  specula- 
tion on  religious  doctrines,  t  have  felt  relieved  by 
the  conviction  that  in  some  minds,  that  appear  to 
have  discovered  this  inclination,  there  is  at  the 
same  time  a  deep  and  pervading  spirit  of  piety 
which  may  restrain  this  tendency  within  its  proper 
bounds.     And  my  conviction  is  daily  strengthened 


THE  SIGNS  OF  THE  TIMES*  361 

that  nothing  short  of  the  most  humble  and  fervent 
piety,  will  secure  us  from  that  spirit  of  innovation 
and  change  which  threatens  the  peace  of  our 
churches. 

The  peculiarities  of  our  times  call  for  a  spirit 
of  humble^  fervent  and  persevering  prayer^  from 
the  pastors  of  the  churches.  My  dear  brethren, 
we  frequently  address  our  people  upon  the  neces- 
sity of  prayer,  and  urge  them  to  the  more  frequent 
and  importunate  discharge  of  this  duty.  Do  we 
not  need  to  be  stirred  up  to  it  ourselves  ?  What 
reason  does  the  brief  view  we  have  taken  of  some 
of  the  peculiarities  of  our  times  present  for  the 
deepest  humiliation  before  God,  and  for  earnest 
supplications  to  Heaven  for  the  forgiveness  of  what 
is  past,  and  for  wisdom  from  above  to  direct  us 
for  the  time  to  come  in  the  way  of  our  duty  ?  If 
there  were  more  prayer  among  ministers,  there 
would  be  less  unprofitable  speculation,  controversy 
and  division. 

The  peculiarities  of  our  times  require  of  the 
pastors  of  our  churches  mutual  forbearance^  con- 
firmed union,  and  brotherly  love.  The  associated 
pastors,  whom  I  have  the  privilege  and  satisfaction 
this  day  to  address,  have  long  known,  by  their 
happy  experience,  how  good  and  how   pleasant  it 

46 


362  SERMON  IV. 

is  to  dwell  together  in  unity.  Though  differing, 
in  some  respects,  in  their  views  of  theology, 
they  have  never  been  disposed  to  magnify  these 
differences  into  points  of  separation.  They  have 
been  too  much  engaged  in  contending  against 
error  in  a  more  dangerous  form,  and  in  promoting 
the  religious  and  benevolent  enterprises  of  the  day, 
to  find  time  to  dispute  about  subjects  of  minor 
importance.  It  is  hoped  that  this  spirit  of  for- 
bearance will  be  preserved ;  and  that,  as  a  body, 
we  may  long  continue  to  know  the  things  that 
make  for  our  peace.  Union  is  strength  and 
power.  Incalculable  is  the  good  which  may  be 
effected  by  the  combined  energies  of  the  pastors 
of  the  evangelical  Congregational  churches  of  New 
England.  In  one  broad  and  united  phalanx,  let 
them  march  forward  in  the  sacramental  host. 

It  is  animating  to  be  assured,  that  in  the  great 
articles  of  their  faith  and  of  their  discipline,  as 
well  as  in  their  religious  and  benevolent  enter- 
prises, they  enjoy  the  sympathies,  co-operation  and 
prayers  of  their  brethren  in  the  father-land.  The 
preacher  cannot  forbear  to  express  the  peculiar 
satisfaction  which  he  feels  in  having  so  favorable 
an  opportunity  of  presenting  to  his  assembled 
brethren  the    assurances  of  the  continued  interest 


THE  SIGNS  OF  THE  TIMES.  363 

felt  in  their  welfare  and  prosperity,  by  their  trans- 
atlantic friends,  with  whom  it  was  his  privilege 
so  recently  to  have  enjoyed  delightful  personal 
communion.  Surely,  the  fraternal  and  Christian 
intercourse,  which  is  now  so  happily  established 
between  the  friends  of  truth  in  the  old  and  new 
world,  is  one  of  the  most  favorable  sig7is  of  the 
times,  which  demands  our  most  grateful  and  fervent 
acknowledgments  to  our  common  Lord.  By  the 
union  of  British  and  American  Christians,  what 
may  not  be  accomplished  in  the  great  work  of 
the  world's  conversion  !  Through  their  united 
instrumentality,  may  we  not  hope  that  the  events 
predicted  in  prophecy  will  soon  be  accomplished, 
when  "  the  kingdoms  of  this  world  shall  become 
the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord  and  his  Christ,  and 
he  shall  reign  forever  and  ever." 

But  I  must  not  longer  detain  you.  In  all 
probability,  my  brethren,  we  shall  not  all  of  us 
meet  again  on  an  occasion  like  the  present.  Before 
this  anniversary  revolves,  some  of  us  will  have  gone 
to  give  an  account  of  our  stewardship.  Happy 
shall  we  be  if,  warned  by  the  signs  of  the  times, 
we  shall  have  escaped  the  dangers  they  betoken, 
and  availed  ourselves  of  the  encouragements  they 
afford.     Let   us   not    be   too   anxious    to   pry  into 


364  SERMON   IV. 

future  events.  The  Church  is  safe,  and  He  who 
hath  founded  it  on  a  rock,  will  order  all  the 
events  of  his  providence  for  its  furtherance  and 
support.  "Blessed  is  he  that  waiteth.  Let  us 
go  our  way  till  the  end  be,  for  we  shall  rest  and 
stand  in  our  lot  at  the  end  of  the  days." 


SEEMON   Y 


THE  IMPORTANCE  OF  MODERATION  IN  CIVIL  RULERS. 


Delivered  before  His  Excellency  Edivard  Everett,  Governor,  the  Honorable  Council,  and 
the  Legislature  of  Massachusetts,  at  the  Annual  Election,  Januarj-  1,  1840. 


PHILIPPIANS  i\'.  5. 

LET  YOUR  MODERAPJON  BE  KNOWN  UNTO  ALL  MEN  :  THE  LORD  IS  AT  HAND. 

The  service  of  this  occasion  is  consecrated,  and 
rendered  venerable,  by  age.  Two  centuries  have 
marked,  with  very  few  exceptions,  its  annual  re- 
turn. It  originated  in  the  piety  of  our  ancestors, 
and,  from  a  commendable  regard  to  ancient  usage, 
it  has  been  continued  by  their  posterity,  from 
generation  to  generation.  It  is  grateful  to  the 
friends  of  religion  and  morality  to  behold  their 
fellow-citizens,  high  in  office  and  authority,  repair- 
ing to  the  house  of  God  to  seek  wisdom  and 
guidance  from  on  high,  before  they  commence 
the  important  and  responsible  duties  of  legislation. 
This  public  acknowledgment  of  their  dependence 


366  SERMON   V. 

upon  the  uncreated  Source  of  wisdom  and  intel- 
ligence, is  well  becoming  the  descendants  of  an 
ancestry,  distinguished  for  their  piety  and  their 
regard  to  religious  institutions.  The  Fathers  of 
this  ancient  Commonwealth  were  men  of  faith 
and  prayer.  They  laid  broad  the  foundations  of 
government  in  religious  principle  and  sacred  con- 
formity to  God's  everlasting  law.  No  people, 
since  the  dispersion  of  ancient  Israel,  were  so  re- 
markable for  their  religious  character,  as  the  first 
settlers  of  Massachusetts.  Exiled  from  the  land 
of  their  fathers  on  account  of  their  attachment 
to  the  purity  of  God's  word  and  worship,  they 
incorporated  their  religious  principles  with  their 
civil  institutions.  They  undertook  no  important 
measure,  they  engaged  in  no  hazardous  enterprise, 
they  proceeded  to  no  responsible  duty,  without 
invoking  the  presence  and  blessing  of  that  all-wise 
Being,  by  whom  kings  reign,  and  princes  decree 
justice.  To  his  word,  also,  as  the  great  statute- 
book  of  first  and  last  resort,  they  unhesitatingly 
applied  for  counsel  and  direction  in  all  cases  of 
doubt  and  difficulty  and  important  bearing.  This 
deep  veneration  for  the  institutions  of  religion, 
which  so  clearly  stamped  the  character  of  our 
Pilgrim  Fathers,  has   been  cherished  by  their  pos- 


MODERATION  IN   CIVIL  RULERS.  367 

terity,  and  I  trust  that  our  civil  rulers  will  never 
cease  to  pay  their  annual  homage,  in  the  house 
of  prayer,  to  the  Creator  and  Governor  of  the 
Universe. 

The  present  occasion  naturally  invites  our  atten- 
tion to  such  subjects,  as  may  be  pertinent  to  the 
situation  and  correspondent  duties  of  an  assembled 
legislature.  In  reflecting  upon  the  peculiarities 
of  the  times  in  which  we  live,  upon  the  tendency 
to  excitement,  and  extremes,  and  party  spirit,  by 
which  they  are  confessedly  distinguished,  I  have 
thought  that  I  might  perform  a  service,  not 
altogether  unprofitable  nor  unacceptable,  by  incul- 
cating upon  the  respected  auditory  I  am  called 
to  address,  a  spirit  of  moderation  in  the  discharge 
of  those  important  duties,  upon  which  they  are 
about  to  enter  in  their  legislative  and  executive 
capacity. 

The  words  of  the  text  form  part  of  the  Apostle 
Paul's  exhortation  to  the  church  at  Philippi ;  and 
may,  with  propriety,  be  applied  to  any  class  or 
description  of  men.  And  it  surely  will  not  be 
foreign  from  the  design  of  the  author  of  the  text, 
who  hath  directed  that  supplications,  prayers,  inter- 
cession, and  giving  of  thanks  be  made  for  all  that 
are   in  authority,  that  those    sustaining   important 


368  SERMON   V. 

offices  of  power  and  trust,  should  be  exhorted  to 
lei  their  moderation  he  known  unto  all  men,  and 
should  be  reminded  of  their  responsibility,  by  the 
solemn  and  impressive  consideration,  that  the  Lord 
is  at  hand. 

Confining  myself,  therefore,  to  the  occasion  upon 
which  we  have  assembled,  I  shall  consider  the  text, 
in  its  application  to  the  character  and  duties  of 
political  men. 

The  subject  which  I  have  selected,  is  one  of 
no  ordinary  delicacy.  But  I  trust  it  may  not  be 
thought  presumptuous,  nor  stepping  aside  from  his 
vocation,  for  a  minister  of  the  gospel  to  attempt  to 
moderate  the  zeal  of  party,  to  allay  the  excite- 
ment of  the  public  mind  with  regard  to  agitating 
topics,  and  to  endeavor  to  recommend  that  firm, 
yet  moderate  course  of  legislation  which,  while  it 
shrinks  not  from  duty  in  the  enactment  and  support 
of  wholesome  laws,  avoids  all  unnecessary  occasions 
of  irritation  towards  those  who  may  honestly  differ 
in  opinion,  on  questions  of  expediency. 

It  is  desirable  to  have  correct  and  definite  views 
of  the  nature  of  that  moderation,  which  they  who 
are  clothed  with  authority,  and  appointed  to  rule 
over  their  fellow-men,  should  possess,  and  to  dis- 
tinguish between  a  time-serving  and  timid  policy, 


MODEKATION   IN   CIVIL  RULERS.  369 

and  a  calm,  dispassionate,  fearless  and  independent 
course  of  conduct.  The  moderation,  which  I  would 
commend,  is  widely  different  from  that  extreme 
caution,  which  avoids  committal  for  fear  of  giving 
offence.  Such  a  course,  although  too  often  adopted 
by  candidates  for  popular  favor,  will  be  regarded 
with  decided  disapprobation  by  every  honest  and 
ingenuous  mind.  The  most  perfect  decision  of 
opinion,  and  the  utmost  frankness  in  the  avowal  of 
it,  are  not  at  all  inconsistent  with  the  spirit  and 
temper  enjoined  in  the  text. 

Equally  remote  from  this  spirit,  is  that  cold  in- 
difference and  political  apathy,  which  can  regard 
without  emotion  the  changes  and  revolutions  that 
are  continually  taking  place  in  the  public  mind. 
It  cannot  be  expected  that  such  subjects  will  be 
viewed  with  indifference,  especially  by  those  who, 
from  their  official  stations,  are  more  particularly 
affected  by  them.  But  the  judicious  statesman 
and  wise  legislator,  while  he  carefully  watches  these 
fluctuations  of  opinion,  and  gives  to  each  agitating 
topic,  as  it  presents  itself,  that  attention  which  it 
deserves,  will  guard  against  that  exclusive  and 
immoderate  devotedness  to  any  one  measure,  or 
course  of  measures,  that  shall  blind  his  vision  to 
everything  that  is  excellent  in  those  who  may  differ 

47 


370  SERMON    V. 

from  him  in  opinion,  or  that  shall  tinge,  with  his 
own  peculiar  views,  the  medium  through  which  he 
regards  every  other  subject.  There  is  such  a 
thing  as  political,  as  well  as  religious  fanaticism, 
which  consists  in  a  zeal  that  is  not  tempered  with 
knowledge — in  a  reckless  pursuit  of  an  object,  with- 
out regard  to  consequences — in  an  attachment  to 
party,  rather  than  to  principle.  I  need  not  observe, 
that  party  spirit,  even  in  a  good  cause,  is  danger- 
ous. When  influenced  by  this  spirit,  men  are  apt 
to  pursue  the  most  desirable  and  praiseworthy 
ends  by  questionable,  if  not  unjustifiable  means. 
That  the  end  justifies  the  means,  is  a  maxim  as 
unsound  in  politics  as  it  is  in  morals.  Especially 
when  morals  and  politics  are  so  blended  together, 
as  they  are  in  some  of  the  questions  which 
are  now  agitated,  we  cannot  be  too  careful  in 
watching  the  motives  which  actuate  our  conduct, 
in  guarding  the  frame  of  our  spirits  from  an 
undue  and  dangerous  excitement,  and  in  exercising 
that  moderation  which  is  never  more  necessary, 
than  when  strong  and  confirmed  prejudices  are 
to  be  overcome,  great  and  serious  difficulties  to 
be  removed,  and  important  and  benevolent  objects 
to  be  gained. 

Of  the  necessity  of  complying  with  the  exhort- 


MODERATION   IN   CIVIL   IIULERS.  371 

ation  in  the  text,  we  shall  be  convinced,  if  we 
consider  that  we  live  in  an  age  of  excitement. 
In  no  part  of  the  world  are  the  effects  of  excite- 
ment more  sensibly  experienced  than  in  our  own 
country.  There  is  in  the  American  character,  if 
I  mistake  not,  a  tendency  to  extremes.  This 
tendency  may  be  traced  to  the  nature  of  our 
republican  institutions,  which,  by  removing  many 
of  those  restraints  by  which  older  and  less  liberal 
governments  are  encumbered,  present  greater  fa- 
cilities for  carrying  into  operation  enterprises  of  a 
political  or  moral  nature.  While  we  sacredly 
cherish  these  institutions,  we  may  not  be  insensible 
to  the  dangers  arising  from  their  abuse.  It  cannot 
be  denied,  that  under  a  republican  government, 
there  is  reason  to  apprehend  that  liberty  may 
degenerate  into  licentiousness,  and  that  objects, 
in  themselves  praiseworthy  and  benevolent,  may 
fail  of  their  design,  by  being  pressed  to  a  hazardous 
extreme.  This  tendency  of  our  institutions  evi- 
dently demands  a  different  policy  from  that  which 
might  be  necessary  under  an  older  and  more 
restricted  form  of  government,  where  long  abuses 
and  confirmed  evils  imperiously  call  for  reformation. 
What  would  be  justifiable  and  commendable  under 
one    form    of  government,  might  be  injurious  and 


372  SERMON    V. 

ruinous  under  another.  A  government  and  a 
country  like  ours,  which  are  as  jet  but  in  their 
infancy,  call  not  for  the  same  radical  reform,  which 
the  corruptions  of  centuries  may  have  rendered 
necessary  in  the  governments  of  the  old  world. 
We  need,  rather,  a  conservative  influence^  to  re- 
strain that  proneness  to  innovation  and  change, 
which  is  the  tendency  of  our  times  and  our 
country,  and  to  keep  pure  and  inviolate  those 
great  principles  of  civil  liberty  and  constitutional 
law,  which  form  the  basis  of  our  political  in- 
stitutions. 

The  evils,  to  which  we  are  exposed  under 
our  peculiar  form  of  government,  arise  not  from 
arbitrary  oppression,  nor  aristocratic  influence. 
The  rich  have  not  the  power,  if  they  had  the 
inclination,  to  oppress  the  poor.  No  one  class 
of  society  enjoys  exclusive  privileges.  The  road 
to  emolument  and  fame  is  alike  open  to  all.  We 
have  no  established  hierarchy  to  monopolize  the 
offices  of  the  church,  and  to  trample  upon  the 
rights  of  conscience,  no  other  nobility  than  the 
nobility  of  industry  and  perseverance,  no  royal 
blood  but  such  as  flows  in  every  honest  heart. 
The  elective  franchise  is  enjoyed  by  us  in  its 
widest   extent,     We    have   no   rotten   boroughs  to 


MODERATION    IN   CIVIL   RULERS.  373 

be  reformed,  no  disqualifying  acts  of  parliament 
to  be  repealed,  no  restrictions  on  the  freedom  of 
the  press  to  be  removed,  no  difficulties  in  the 
way  of  universal  education  to  be  overcome.  Our 
free  and  happy  constitution  guarantees  to  us  as 
much  liberty  as  is  good  for  man.  It  secures  to 
us  the  inestimable  blessings  of  civil  and  religious 
freedom.  It  protects  us  in  the  enjoyment  of  our 
personal  rights,  and  permits  every  man  to  sit 
under  his  ow^n  vine  and  fig  tree,  having  none  to 
molest  or  make  him  afraid.  And  w^hat  more  can 
we  desire  ?  Under  what  government,  even  the 
most  Utopian  that  ever  entered  into  the  con- 
ception of  political  enthusiasm,  are  to  be  found 
greater  securities  for  personal  freedom,  for  indi- 
vidual happiness,  for  social  comfort  and  for  public 
improvement,  than  are  the  portion  of  our  favored 
Republic  ? 

We  will  not  boast  of  our  happy  lot,  for  boasting 
is  as  unbecoming  in  a  people  as  in  individuals  ; 
but  we  will  be  grateful  to  that  Being  who  hath 
appointed  the  bounds  of  our  habitation,  by  whose 
merciful  providence  the  lines  have  fallen  unto  us 
in  such  pleasant  places,  and  who  hath  given  us 
such  a  goodly  heritage.  It  is  obvious,  then,  that 
the  same    reasons    do    not    exist,    among   us,    for 


371  SERMON  V. 

that  spirit  of  radicalism,  which  has  sometimes 
manifested  itself  in  other  countries  and  under 
other  forms  of  government.  Happy  shall  we  be,  as 
a  people,  if  we  realize  the  value  of  our  privileges, 
and  remain  contented  with  that  degree  of  liberty 
which  is  secured  to  us  by  the  constitution.  Our 
danger  lies  in  imitating  that  restless  and  unquiet 
spirit  which,  however  necessary  and  justifiable 
under  other  circumstances,  is  out  of  place  under 
a  government  of  equal  rights  and  privileges. 

While  we  suitably  appreciate  the  value  of  our 
free  institutions,  let  us  not  forget  that  they  are 
liable  to  abuse.  Let  us  carefully  guard  against 
a  spirit  of  reckless  agitation,  which,  for  its  own 
private  and  party  purposes,  would  destroy  the 
foundations  of  order  and  government,  and  mutilate, 
if  not  demolish,  that  beautiful  fabric  which  was 
framed  by  the  wisdom  and  piety  of  our  venerated 
ancestors,  cemented  by  the  blood  of  the  heroes 
of  the  Revolution,  and  brought  to  its  present  state 
of  unrivaled  excellence  by  the  sage  counsels  and 
deliberate  judgment  of  some  of  the  wisest  and 
most  enlightened  statesmen  the  world  ever  knew. 
Nothing  is  more  necessary  and  desirable,  in  sus- 
taining our  invaluable  institutions,  than  the  exercise 
of  the   same    spirit  of  moderation  which  actuated 


MODERATION  IN   CIVIL  RULERS.  375 

the  fathers  of  the  Republic.  They  were  men 
eminently  distinguiwshed  for  this  trait  of  character. 
While  they  betrayed  no  want  of  courage  and 
daring,  in  those  times  which  tried  men's  souls ; 
while,  in  the  battle-field,  they  fought  with  noble 
intrepidity  for  the  liberties  and  independence  of 
their  country,  they  manifested,  in  all  their  dis- 
cussions and  deliberations  in  the  council-chamber, 
and  in  the  national  congress,  a  remarkable  de- 
gree of  wisdom  and  moderation.  May  the  spirit 
which  animated  their  fathers,  descend  upon  their 
children  ! 

But  I  would  not  be  understood  to  imply,  that 
our  institutions  are  so  perfect  as  to  need  no 
improvement,  or  that  there  are  no  alarming  evils 
in  our  community  that  need  correction.  The 
institutions  of  our  beloved  Commonwealth  are, 
I  believe,  as  perfect  as  those  of  any  government 
on  the  earth  ;  and  no  people  have  richer  sources 
of  happiness,  and  more  abundant  causes  of  grati- 
tude, than  they  who  live  under  the  shadow  of  its 
constitution  and  laws.  I  do  not  say  that  the 
constitution  should  never  be  amended,  nor  that  all 
the  laws  in  the  statute-book  are  wise  and  salutary, 
and  should  never  be  repealed.  Doubtless,  such 
amendments    and   such   modifications   and    repeals 


376  SERMON   V. 

may  sometimes  be  necessary.  But  a  wise  and 
judicious  legislature  will  not  attempt  any  essential 
or  important  changes,  without  great  caution  and 
deliberation. 

That  there  are  alarming  evils  in  our  Common- 
wealth, that  need  to  be  corrected,  no  one  can 
doubt;  and  that  the  Legislature,  as  guardians  of 
the  public  weal,  may  do  much  to  restrain  the 
practice  of  iniquity,  and  to  support  and  encourage 
the  friends  of  good  morals,  few,  if  any,  will  be 
disposed  to  question.  The  cause  of  Temperance  is 
one  in  which  all  the  friends  of  humanity  are  deeply 
concerned.  It  is  a  cause  vitally  connected  with 
the  best  interests  of  the  Commonwealth.  It  is  a 
cause  which,  in  its  advocacy,  embraces  men  of  all 
parties  and  denominations  in  politics  and  religion. 
The  interest  which  this  cause  has  awakened  in  every 
part  of  the  Commonwealth,  has  been  unusually 
great  and  powerful.  All  classes  of  the  community 
have,  in  a  greater  or  less  degree,  partaken  of  the 
excitement.  It  will  not  be  supposed  that  the 
ministers  of  religion,  whose  duty  it  is  to  reason 
of  righteousness,  temperance,  and  a  judgment  to 
come,  can  have  been  unconcerned  spectators  of 
the  progress  of  a  reformation,  so  intimately  con- 
nected with   religion    and    morality.      As  a   body, 


MODERATION   IN   CIVIL  RULERS.  377 

they  have  ever  cheerfully  given  their  warm  and 
unwavering  support  to  this  philanthropic  cause. 
From  their  official  stations  they  have  seen,  per- 
haps, more  than  most  of  their  fellow-citizens,  the 
misery  produced  in  families  and  neighborhoods, 
by  the  practice  that  was  once  so  prevalent,  of 
retailing,  in  small  quantities,  the  means  of  intox- 
ication. The  tears  of  the  broken-hearted  wife, 
and  the  wretchedness  of  neglected  children,  have 
affected  their  hearts,  and  have  led  them  to  rejoice 
in  any  measures  that  may  be  constitutionally 
and  lawfully  employed  to  lessen  the  sources  of 
temptation,  and  to  check  a  traffic  so  disastrous 
in  its  consequences  to  the  peace  and  happiness  of 
society.  Whether  the  course  pursued  by  recent 
acts  of  legislation,  is  the  best  calculated  to  effect 
the  desired  object,  is  a  question  that  remains  to 
be  decided.  On  this  subject,  it  cannot  be  denied, 
there  is  a  great  difference  of  opinion  in  the  com- 
munity— a  difference  of  opinion  that  is  certainly 
entitled  to  respectful  consideration  from  a  wise 
and  prudent  legislature.  Whatever  measures  may 
be  adopted  by  those  to  whom  the  direction  of  our 
civil  affairs  is  now  to  be  intrusted,  it  is  earnestly 
to  be  desired  that  they  may  be  distinguished  by 
a  spirit  of  candor,  forbearance  and  moderation. 


378  SERMON   V, 

I  have  said  that  we  live  in  an  age  of  excitement. 
Exciting  topics,  rapidly  and  extensively,  pervade 
the  community.  But  in  no  condition  of  society 
is  their  influence  more  obvious,  than  in  our  halls 
of  legislation.  The  representatives  of  a  people 
among  w^hom  an  excitement  prevails,  will  not  only 
partake  of  it  in  common  with  their  constituents, 
but,  as  in  many  cases  they  are  selected  for  the 
express  purpose  of  advocating  or  opposing  a  par- 
ticular course  of  measures,  they  may  be  supposed 
to  be  more  affected  by  it  than  their  fellow-citizens 
in  general.  And  when  we  consider  their  relative 
situation,  and  juxtapo-ition  for  a  considerable 
period  of  time,  it  will  not  be  surprising  that  the 
tendency  to  excitement  should  be  greatly  in- 
creased. Difference  of  sentiment  will  often  lead 
to  a  warmth  of  debate,  which  may  sometimes 
become  personal,  and  be  attended  with  the  most 
unhappy  consequences.  Instances  of  this  kind 
have  not  been  wanting  in  the  highest  councils 
of  our  land,  where  this  excitement  has  terminated 
in  the  effusion  of  human  blood.  I  blush  for  my 
country,  when  I  reflect  on  the  instances  of 
dueling  that  have  occurred  among  our  public 
men.  They  who  are  selected  by  their  fellow- 
citizens  for  the  express    purpose   of  making  their 


MODERATION  IN   CIVIL  RULERS.  379 

laws,  and  preserving  their  liberties,  should  be  the 
last  to  trample  on  the  one,  and  abuse  the  other. 
And  yet  it  cannot  be  denied,  mortifying  as  is  the 
acknowledgment,  that  there  is  no  class  of  men 
more  frequently  guilty  of  this  sin,  than  they  who 
fill  the  highest  places  of  power  and  trust,  who 
legislate  for  others,  and  whose  example  ought  to 
give  additional  weight  to  their  legislation. 

But  it  is  not  merely  the  fact,  that  we  live  in  an 
age  of  excitement,  which  calls  for  the  discharge  of 
the  duty  under  consideration.  Its  importance  will 
appear,  if  we  consider  the  influence  of  legislation 
upon  the  great  public  interests  of  the  Common- 
wealth. To  the  legislature  the  people  look  for 
the  encouragement  of  those  various  objects  and 
enterprises  which  so  intimately  affect  their  pros- 
perity. Plans  of  improvement  by  which  the 
resources  and  wealth  of  the  State  may  be  ren- 
dered available  and  increased,  the  promotion  of 
education  and  the  diffusion  of  useful  knowledge 
among  all  classes  of  the  community,  the  facilities 
needed  by  the  merchant,  the  farmer,  the  manu- 
facturer, the  mechanic  and  the  various  professions, 
for  effecting  their  respective  purposes  and  designs, 
will  all  receive,  in  their  turn,  the  attention  of  an 
enlightened  legislature.      With  so    many  interests 


380  SERMON    V. 

depending  upon  them,  it  will  be  readily  ac- 
knowledged, that  in  no  class  of  men  is  a  spirit 
of  wise  and  careful  deliberation  more  necessary, 
than  in  a  legislative  assembly.  Such  an  assembly, 
especially  a  numerous  one,  is  in  peculiar  danger 
of  precipitancy  in  legislation.  It  has  no^t  the 
advantage  of  the  cool,  dispassionate  reflection  of 
retirement,  but  is  frequently  called  upon  to  act, 
with  very  little  notice  of  the  subject  to  be  acted 
upon,  and  sometimes  under  the  strong  current  of 
an  excited  public  opinion. 

The  public  good,  rather  than  public  opinion, 
ought  to  influence  the  views  and  control  the 
actions  of  political  men.  Whatever  may  be  for 
the  good  of  the  people,  whose  interests  they 
represent,  they  should  steadily  pursue ;  although 
the  course  they  adopt  may  not,  at  the  time,  be 
universally  popular.  It  is  not  unfrequently  the 
case,  that  the  doings  of  a  legislature  may  not 
at  once  commend  themselves  to  popular  regard, 
while  at  the  same  time  they  may  be  beneficial 
in  their  tendency,  and  in  their  issue  have  a 
salutary  and  most  important  influence  in  promoting 
the  best  interests  of  the  people.  The  wise  and 
cautious  will  look  beyond  the  mere  immediate 
effects  of  legislation  to  its  more  permanent  results, 


MODERATION  IN   CIVIL  RULERS.  381 

and  remember  that  in  the  discharge  of  duty  they 
ought  to  be  governed  more  by  a  respect  to  the 
best  interests  of  the  community  and  the  welfare 
and  happiness  of  posterity,  than  by  a  regard 
to  their  own  immediate  influence  and  standing 
with  the  public.  Popularity  is  often  temporary 
and  evanescent ;  but  what  is  done  with  a  sincere 
regard  to  the  good  of  the  people,  will  survive 
the  contending  opinions  of  the  public,  and  re- 
main a  standing  monument  of  wise  and  judicious 
legislation. 

But  it  is  not  merely  in  the  suppression  of  the 
evils  that  exist  in  the  community,  that  the  legisla- 
ture will  exercise  a  wholesome  authority.  They 
will  not  be  slow  to  encourage  all  good  designs 
and  laudable  efforts  for  the  promotion  of  the  public 
good,  for  the  increase  of  useful  knowledge,  for 
the  advancement  of  the  cause  of  benevolence  and 
philanthropy,  and  for  the  general  happiness  and 
welfare  of  their  constituents.  Under  their  foster- 
ing care,  the  ancient  University  in  this  vicinity, 
which  has  long  been  the  child  of  their  adoption, 
will  continue  to  flourish ;  and  the  other  literary 
institutions  of  the  State,  although  of  more  recent 
origin,  I  trust  will  not  be  forgotten. 

The    ministers    of    religion    have    been    accus- 


382  SERMON   V. 

tomed,  on  these  occasions,  to  commend  to  the 
legislature  the  interests  of  education.  They  ask 
no  endowments  for  themselves  or  their  churches ; 
but  the  cause  of  good  learning  is  one  which  was 
dear  to  their  fathers,  and  should  be  dear  to  their 
children.  For  this  our  honored  ancestors  made 
suitable  provision  in  the  early  settlement  of  the 
country.  And  as  the  country  has  increased,  and 
the  wants  of  the  community  multiplied,  may  it 
not  be  expected  that  adequate  provision  will  be 
made  by  a  wise  and  considerate  legislature  for  the 
encouragement  of  seminaries  of  learning,  within  the 
bounds  of  the  Commonwealth,  without  distinction 
of  sect  or  party  ? 

It  has  been  a  source  of  great  satisfaction  to  the 
friends  of  humanity,  to  witness  the  attention  of 
the  legislature  directed  to  the  state  of  our  prisons 
and  penitentiaries,  and  the  condition  of  their 
misguided  and  unhappy  inmates.  The  improve- 
ments that  have  been  made  in  prison  discipline, 
within  a  few  years,  are  alike  honorable  to  private 
benevolence  and  legislative  encouragement.  While 
rulers  are  a  terror  to  evil  doers,  they  may,  with 
consistency,  so  far  soften  the  rigor  of  the  law  as  to 
provide  for  the  outward  condition,  and  especially 
the  moral,  intellectual  and   religious   improvement 


MODERATION    IN   CIVIL  EULERS.  383 

of  the  unhappy  convict.  The  means  that  have 
been  used  for  these  purposes  have  been  so  signally 
successful,  as  to  create  a  new  era  in  the  annals 
of  punitive  legislation. 

In  the  discharge  of  the  important  and  responsi- 
ble duties  of  their  official  station,  my  respected 
hearers,  I  doubt  not,  w^ill  feel  the  force  of  the 
injunction  of  the  Apostle,  and  let  their  moderation 
he  known  unto  all  men.  They  will  realize  the 
importance  of  permanent,  rather  than  temporary 
and  occasional  legislation  ;  and  will  be  satisfied 
that  a  few  laws,  well  digested,  and  adopted  with 
suitable  deliberation,  are  better  than  a  larger 
number  of  statutes,  crudely  framed  and  hastily 
passed,  under  the  exciting  influence  of  party 
spirit. 

While  I  would  urge  the  importance  of  wise  and 
deliberate  legislation,  in  view  of  its  influence  upon 
the  great  public  interests  of  the  State,  as  well  as 
in  reference  to  the  times  of  excitement  in  which  we 
live,  may  I  be  permitted  to  say  one  word  in  favor 
of  the  cultivation  of  a  spirit  of  forbearance  and 
moderation  between  the  two  great  political  parties, 
into  which  the  inhabitants  of  the  Commonwealth 
are,  apparently,  so  equally  divided  ?  I  rejoice  to 
believe  that  political    party  now,  is   widely  differ- 


384  SERMON   V. 

ent  from  what  it  was  in  former  days, — that  it 
has  lost  much  of  the  asperity  for  which  it  was 
once  distinguished.  Whether  it  is  that  other 
subjects  have  absorbed  a  portion  of  that  rancor 
and  bitterness  which  were  once  so  manifest  in 
political  discussions,  or  whether  the  points  of 
difference  between  the  two  great  parties,  that 
have  so  long  divided  our  country,  are  deemed  of 
less  magnitude  than  formerly,  or  whether  each 
party  has  learned  to  feel  more  kindly,  and  to 
act  with  more  urbanity,  than  in  seasons  of  great 
political  excitement,  I  will  not  pretend  to  say. 
But  times  appear  to  be  changed  in  this  respect, 
for  the  better ;  and  instead  of  the  high-seasoned 
political  sermons  which  I  well  remember  to  have 
heard  on  these  occasions,  in  former  years,  a 
minister  of  Jesus  may  now  find  his  more  appro- 
priate, and  certainly  more  welcome  sphere,  in 
inculcating  upon  his  hearers  the  messages  of  that 
gospel  which  breathes  peace  on  earth  and  good 
will  to  men.  As  an  ambassador,  then,  of  the 
Prince  of  peace,  I  may  be  allowed  to  express 
the  hope,  that  whatever  differences  of  opinion  may 
exist  in  the  Commonwealth,  a  spirit  of  mutual 
condescension  and  forbearance  will  infuse  itself 
into  all  the  deliberations,  and  pervade  all  the 
doings  of  its  legislature. 


MODERATION   IN   CIVIL   RULEES.  385 

The  solemn  and  powerful  motive  to  the  right 
discharge  of  the  duties  recommended  in  this  dis- 
course, remains  to  be  considered  and  enforced. 
The  Lord  is  at  hand. 

An  impression  seems  to  have  existed,  in  the 
minds  of  some  of  the  primitive  Christians,  that 
the  end  of  the  world  was  approaching,  and  that 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  would  soon  appear,  the 
second  time,  in  the  clouds  of  heaven,  with  power 
and  great  glory,  when  all  who  were  in  their 
graves,  together  with  those  who  were  alive  at 
his  coming,  should  stand  before  his  judgment-seat, 
and  receive,  according  to  the  deeds  done  in  the 
body,  whether  they  be  good,  or  whether  they  be 
evil.  Hence  the  sacred  writers,  in  enforcing  the 
various  duties  they  urge  upon  mankind,  frequently 
draw  their  motives  from  an  approaching  judgment, 
and  the  unseen  realities  of  the  eternal  world. 
These  motives,  however,  ought  not  to  lose  any 
of  their  force ;  because  the  Apostles  might  not 
have  been  made  acquainted,  by  inspiration,  with 
the  precise  time  of  Christ's  coming  to  judgment. 
It  is  of  little  consequence,  so  far  as  the  practical 
effect  is  concerned,  whether,  in  the  order  of  time, 
the  day  of  judgment  is  near  or  remote.  If  we 
believe    the    Scriptures,    we    know   that    God    has 

49 


386  SERMON    V. 

appointed  a  day,  in  the  which  he  will  judge  the 
world  by  Jesus  Christ,  and  however  scoffers  may 
say,  Where  is  the  promise  of  his  coming  ?  we  are 
assured  that  the  day  of  the  Lord  will  come  as  a 
thief  in  the  night,  in  the  which  the  heavens  shall 
pass  aw^ay  with  a  great  noise,  and  the  elements 
shall  melt  with  fervent  heat ;  the  earth  also,  and 
the  works  that  are  therein,  shall  be  burnt  up. 
Well,  then,  does  the  Apostle  argue  from  this 
assured  fact — seeing  that  all  these  things  must 
be  dissolved,  ivhat  7nanner  of  persons  ought  rve 
to  be,  in  all  holy  conversation  and  godliness  ? 

Without  perplexing  our  minds  with  calculations 
as  to  the  exact  period  of  the  .duration  of  the 
world,  and  the  time  of  the  general  judgment, 
which  are  among  the  secret  things  which  belong 
to  God,  and  which  he  has  not  thought  proper  to 
reveal  to  us,  it  is  sufficient  to  know,  that  nothing 
is  more  uncertain  than  human  life,  and  that  to 
every  accountable  being,  when  he  quits  this  mortal 
scene,  the  Lord  is  at  hand  to  bestow  upon  him 
the  riches  of  his  grace,  or  to  visit  him  with  the 
•reward   of  his  iniquity. 

I  am  aware  that  it  is  difficult  to  impress  upon 
the  minds  of  those,  who  are  associated  together 
like    the    members   of    a    legislature,    a    sense   of 


MODERATION  IN   CIVIL  RULERS.  387 

personal  accountability.  They  are  exceedingly 
apt  to  forget,  in  the  heat  of  debate,  in  the  bustle 
of  business,  in  the  strife  of  party,  that  there  is 
a  God  who  rules  in  the  earth,  and  who  will 
require  of  his  intelligent  creatures  an  account  of 
their  conduct,  not  only  in  the  more  retired  and 
private  walks  of  life,  but  in  those  active  scenes, 
and  more  public  duties,  to  which  they  are  called 
by  the  suffrages  of  their  fellow-men.  In  a  numer- 
ous legislative  assembly  there  is  a  sort  of  feeling 
of  divided  responsibleness,  which  tends  to  weaken, 
if  not  destroy,  the  paramount  sense  of  personal 
accountability.  But  it  is  the  duty  of  the  faithful 
preacher  of  God's  word,  to  hold  up  to  civil 
rulers  the  solemn  and  awful  realities  of  a  future 
judgment  and  retribution ;  to  remind  them,  that 
although  they  are  like  gods,  they  shall  die  as 
men  ;  that,  in  the  grave,  there  is  no  distinction 
of  rank  or  office,  and  that,  at  the  judgment-seat, 
the  doings  of  every  individual  of  our  race,  in  all 
the  various  relations  which  he  sustained,  private, 
social  and  public,  shall  be  impartially  reviewed ; 
that,  to  whom  much  is  given,  of  them  much  will 
be  required  ;  and  that  those  who,  on  earth,  were 
elevated  above  their  fellow-men,  who  were  ap- 
pointed   to    frame    and    execute    their   laws,    will 


388  SERMON  V. 

have  to  give  an  account  to  the  great  Lawgiver  of 
the  universe,  of  the  manner  in  which  they  have 
discharged  their  official  duties,  and  fulfilled  their 
public  trusts. 

May  jou,  my  respected  hearers,  enter  upon  the 
business  of  legislation  under  an  impressive  sense 
of  your  responsibleness ;  and  so  discharge  the 
important  duties  of  your  high  and  conspicuous 
station,  as  best  to  secure  the  testiaiony  of  your 
own  consciences,  the  welfare  and  happiness  of 
your  constituents,  and  the  favor  and  approbation 
of  God. 

While  this  discourse  has  been  particularly  ad- 
dressed to  the  Members  of  the  Legislature,  it  is 
capable  of  a  more  general  application.  I  need  not 
say,  that  if  a  spirit  of  forbearance  and  moderation 
is  necessary  in  civil  rulers,  it  is  no  less  so  in  the 
people  whom  they  represent.  A  legislature  will, 
of  course,  take  its  complexion  from  the  character 
of  the  people.  How  important  then  is  it,  that 
the  people  should  be  influenced  by  correct  prin- 
ciples; that  they  should  cultivate  a  spirit  of 
moderation,  and  not  allow  the  excitement  of  party 
to  warp  their  judgment,  nor  the  desire  to  further 
any    cause,    however    good    in    itself,    to    betray 


MODERATION  IN   CIVIL  RULERS.  389 

them  into  measures  of  questionable  propriety,  or 
of  hazardous  adoption.  In  conducting  the  differ- 
ent objects  of  reformation  which  have,  of  late, 
taken  such  deep  hold  of  the  public  mind,  it  is  of 
the  greatest  importance  to  avoid  those  extremes 
which,  by  disgusting  the  sober  and  more  rational 
part  of  the  community,  tend  to  retard  rather  than 
to  advance  the  cause  of  true  philanthropy.  The 
desired  object  is  far  more  likely  to  be  gained  by 
a  calm,  discreet  and  moderate  course  of  conduct, 
than  by  hasty,  violent  and  fitful  measures  which, 
in  many  cases,  by  their  reaction,  only  injure  the 
cause  they  were  designed  to  promote.  It  is  to  be 
hoped  that  the  spirit  of  moderation,  recommended 
in  this  discourse,  will  commend  itself  to  the  people 
of  this  Commonwealth ;  and  that  they  will  sustain 
thei  r  legislature  in  whatever  measures  they  in 
their  wisdom  may  adopt  for  the  public  good.  It 
is  impossible  that  the  wisest  legislature,  with  the 
best  intentions,  should  give  universal  satisfaction. 
If  the  laws  which  they  make  are  unjust,  or 
unequal,  or  inexpedient,  they  can  be  repealed  by 
the  same  authority  by  which  they  were  enacted. 
But  while  they  continue  in  force,  it  is  the  duty 
of  all  good  citizens  to  give  them  their  support, 
to  frown   on  every  attempt  at  their  evasion,  and 


390  SERMON    V. 

to  sustain  those  who  execute  them,  in  the  discharge 
of  their  duty.  This  is  incumbent  on  them,  not  only 
as  men,  acting  under  a  sense  of  moral  obligation, 
but  as  republicans,  who  profess  to  acknowledge 
and  to  submit  to  the  will  of  the  majority.  The 
supremacy  of  the  law  is  one  of  the  first  and 
most  important  principles  in  every  well-regulated 
commonwealth  ;  and  under  a  democratic  form  of 
government,  where  the  power  of  legislation  resides 
in  the  people,  there  can  be  no  excuse  for  the 
violation  of  the  laws. 

But  the  people  of  Massachusetts,  while  they  are 
reminded  of  their  privileges  and  their  duty,  will, 
I  trust,  suitably  appreciate  the  one,  and  faithfully 
discharge  the  other.  May  the  rich  blessings  they 
enjoy,  long  be  continued  to  them  by  a  beneficent 
Providence.  Long  may  they  behold,  as  they 
do  this  day,  their  Nobles  from  themselves,  and 
their  Governor  from  the  midst  of  them.  May 
our  beloved  Commonwealth  ever  be  the  object  of 
the  divine  favor !  And  may  the  last  words  of 
an  Italian  patriot  be  the  prayer  of  each  of  her 
sons — Esto  perpetual 

It  has  been  customary,  on  these  occasions,  to 
offer  respectful  salutations  to  the  different  branches 


MODERATION   IN   CIVIL   RULERS.  391 

of  the  Legislature.  And  it  is  a  usage,  of  which 
the  preacher  is  most  happy  to  avail  himself,  as 
it  affords  him  the  opportunity  of  enforcing  the 
sentiments  he  has  endeavored  to  inculcate,  by 
referring  to  the  distinguished  example  of  modera- 
tion exhibited  by  the  honored  individual  w^ho  has, 
for  several  successive  years,  sustained  the  high 
and  responsible  office  of  Chief  Magistrate  of  the 
Commonvrealth. 

The  meekness  of  wisdom,  with  which  your 
Excellency  has  borne  the  honors  of  your  exalted 
station,  the  calm  and  dispassionate,  and  at  the 
same  time  firm  and  dignified  course  of  conduct, 
amidst  agitating  topics  and  conflicting  interests, 
which  has  distinguished  your  administration,  the 
desire  you  have  uniformly  manifested  for  the  intel- 
lectual and  moral  improvement  of  the  community, 
and  the  patriotic  zeal  you  have  evinced  for  the 
prosperity  of  our  common  country,  will  never  be 
forgotten  by  a  grateful  people.  The  wise  and 
good,  of  all  parties,  will  duly  appreciate  your  un- 
tiring labors  for  the  public  weal;  and  their  best 
wishes  and  fervent  prayers  for  your  personal  hap- 
piness will  attend  you,  whether  you  continue  to 
discharge  the  duties  of  your  official  station,  or  retire 
to  the  more  quiet  occupations  of  private  life. 


392  SERMON   V. 

His  Honor  the  Lieutenant  Governor,  the  Ex- 
ecutive Council,  v^ith  the  Senate  and  House  of 
Representatives,  will  accept  the  congratulations 
of  the  occasion,  and  the  assurance  that,  whatever 
changes  may  take  place  in  the  political  character 
of  the  Commonwealth,  as  long  as  they  are  actuated 
by  a  spirit  of  forbearance  and  moderation,  they 
will  continue  to  receive  and  enjoy  the  respect  and 
confidence  of  all  the  friends  of  order  and  good 
government. 

Changes  are  continually  taking  place,  not  only 
in  the  political,  but  in  the  natural  world.  Times 
and  seasons  change.  The  earth  has  performed 
another  of  its  annual  revolutions ;  and,  with  the 
return  of  this  anniversary,  we  are  brought  to  the 
commencement  of  a  new  year.  What  changes 
may  take  place  during  the  year  upon  which  we 
have  this  day  entered,  are  known  only  to  Him, 
who  seeth  the  end  from  the  beginning.  It  is  the 
dictate  of  wisdom  to  prepare  for  the  changes  of 
life.  We  shall  never  all  of  us  meet  again,  in 
like  circumstances,  in  this  house  of  prayer.  In  all 
probability,  before  this  year  shall  close,  some  of 
us  will  have  closed  our  career  on  earth,  and  have 
entered  upon  the  untried  scenes  of  eternity. 


MODERATION  IN   CIVIL  RULERS.  393 

In  view  of  the  solemnities  of  a  dying  hour, 
and  an  approaching  judgment,  let  us  be  careful 
to  maintain  a  conscience  void  of  offence  towards 
God  and  towards  man ;  and,  whether  in  a  private 
or  public  station,  let  us  endeavor  faithfully  to 
discharge  our  duty,  and  to  let  our  moderation  he 
known  unto  all  men.     The  Lord  is  at  hand. 


so 


SERMON   YI. 


THE     DOCTRINE     OF    JESUS, 


MATTHEW  Yii.  28,  29. 

AXD  IT  CAME  TO  PASS,  WHEN  JESUS  HAD  ENDED  THESE  SAYINGS,  THE  PEOPLE 
WERE  ASTONISHED  AT  HIS  DOCTRINE  ;  FOR  HE  TAUGHT  THEM  AS  ONE 
HAVING  AUTHORITY,   AND   NOT  AS   THE   SCRIBES. 

Our  blessed  Lord,  having  concluded  his  admi- 
rable Sermon  on  the  Mount,  the  faithful  historian 
informs  us  of  the  effect  it  produced  upon  the 
minds  of  his  hearers.  "  The  people  were  aston- 
ished at  his  doctrine  ;  for  he  taught  them  as  one 
having  authority,  and  not  as  the  Scribes." 

These  remarks  of  the  Evangelist,  upon  the  re- 
ception of  the  Saviour's  preaching  bj  the  people, 
afford  us  an  interesting  subject  of  discourse,  and 
will  lead  us,  in  the  first  place,  to  consider  the 
doctrine  of  Jesus ;  Secondly,  his  manner  of  teach- 
ing ;  and,  Thirdly,  its  effect  upon  his  hearers. 

Let  us,  in  the  first  place,  consider  the  doctrine 
of   Jesus.      It  may  be  said  of  the    Saviour,  with 


THE   DOCTRINE   OF   JESUS.  395 

the    utmost    propriety,    that   his    doctrine    dropped 
as  the  rain,  and  his  speech  distilled  as  the  dew. 

The  doctrine  of  Jesus  is  the  doctrine  of  God, 
for  in  his  human  and  mediatorial  character  he 
sajs,  "My  doctrine  is  not  mine,  but  his  that  sent 
me."  It  claims  the  Supreme  Intelligence  for  its 
author. 

It  must  therefore,  in  the  first  place,  be  true. 
There  is  a  great,  an  almost  infinite  variety  of 
doctrines  in  the  world,  some  of  which  are  utterly 
false,  and  many  of  which  contain  much  error 
mixed  with  truth.  But  the  doctrine  of  Jesus 
alone  can  lay  claim  to  infallibility,  for  it  cometh 
immediately  from  God,  the  God  of  truth  and  the 
Source  of  all  wisdom,  with  whom  is  no  variable- 
ness neither  shadow  of  turning. 

The  word  doctrine,  as  used  in  the  text  and  in 
parallel  passages  of  Scripture,  is  to  be  understood 
in  the  most  extensive  sense,  as  signifying  the 
whole  system  of  doctrines  as  taught  by  Christ, 
particularly  those  contained  in  the  Sermon  on  the 
Mount,  to  which  the  word  more  immediately 
refers. 

The  Christian  system  then  is  true,  when  com- 
pared with  all  the  other  systems  of  religion  that 
have  ever  been  taught  among  men.     The  systems 


396  SERMON  VI. 

of  doctrine  inculcated  by  heathen  philosophers, 
though  containing  some  truth,  abound  with  many 
false  sentiments  and  erroneous  principles.  For 
all  the  truth  they  contain,  they  are  indebted  to 
the  dim  light  of  nature,  and  to  traditionary  hints 
from  Revelation  ;  for  probably  there  never  was  a 
time  w^hen  the  world  was  wholly  destitute  of 
a  revelation.  But  the  faint  light  of  truth  which 
they  emit  bears  but  a  small  proportion  to  the 
dark  cloud  of  error  with  which  they  are  over- 
shadowed. 

The  doctrine  of  the  false  prophet,  which  has  a 
large  number  of  disciples,  has  borrowed  some 
truth  from  the  Christian  system,  but  contains 
much  error  and  delusion  peculiar  to  itself.  The 
sanguinary  means  by  which  it  is  propagated,  are 
very  foreign  from  the  spirit  of  the  religion  of  the 
Prince  of  peace,  the  weapons  of  which  are  not 
carnal  but  spiritual ;  and  the  sensual  gratifications, 
both  here  and  hereafter,  to  which  its  followers 
are  invited,  are  widely  different  from  the  pure 
pleasures  and  holy  joys  which  are  the  present, 
and  will  be  the  everlasting  portion  of  the  disciples 
of  the  Lamb.     This  leads  us  to  observe, 

Secondly,  The  doctrine  of  Jesus  is  pure.  Purity 
is  one  of  its  distinguishing  characteristics.     It  en- 


THE  DOCTRINE   OF  JESUS.  397 

joins  purity  of  heart  as  essential  to  salvation. 
One  of  those  beatitudes,  with  which  the  Saviour's 
Sermon  on  the  Mount  is  introduced,  is,  "  Blessed 
are  the  pure  in  heart,  for  they  shall  see  God." 
And  without  holiness,  we  are  assured,  no  man 
shall  see  the  Lord.  All  other  systems  of  doctrine, 
while  they  attempt  to  restrain  the  outward  conduct, 
make  little  pretensions  to  the  regulation  of  the 
heart  and  the  government  of  the  temper;  but  it  is 
this  which  constitutes  the  essence  of  the  doctrine 
of  Jesus. 

He  taught  that  all  outward  acts  of  religion 
were  but  a  solemn  mockery,  if  the  heart  was 
not  right  with  God.  He  insisted  on  purity  of 
heart  as  an  indispensable  requisite  to  admission 
into  his  kingdom.  He  taught  the  absolute  neces- 
sity of  being  born  again,  of  being  renewed  in  the 
spirit  of  our  minds,  as  a  qualification  for  heaven. 
From  his  doctrine  we  learn,  that  nothing  will 
be  admitted  into  the  heavenly  state  that  worketh 
abomination,  or  that  maketh  a  lie,  but  they  only 
who  are  washed  in  the  laver  of  regeneration,  and 
are  sanctified  by  the  Holy  Ghost.  It  is  one 
important  part  of  his  doctrine,  that  God  is  a 
spirit;  and  they  that  worship  him,  must  worship 
him  in  spirit   and    in   truth.     The  religion  of  the 


398  SEKMON  VI. 

cross  is  spiritual';  and  it  is  spirituality  that  dis- 
tinguishes the  disciple  of  Christ  from  the  man 
of  the  world. 

Again.  The  doctrine  of  Jesus  is  distinguished 
for  its  sublimity.  It  opens  to  our  view  the 
mysteries  of  another  world.  It  gives  us  some 
idea  of  the  glories  of  the  heavenly  state,  and  it 
draws  aside  the  curtain  that  conceals  the  horrors 
of  the  world  of  darkness  and  despair.  It  treats 
of  the  creation  of  all  things  out  of  nothing.  How 
sublime  is  the  description  given  in  the  Book  of 
God,  of  the  work  of  Creation !  '  Let  there  be 
light,'  said  God,  *  and  there  was  light.'  This 
single  passage  is  often  quoted  as  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  instances  of  the  truly  sublime,  con- 
tained either  in  ancient  or  modern,  sacred  or 
profane  writing. 

But  especially  is  the  subject  to  which  the 
doctrine  of  Jesus  particularly  relates,  remarkable 
for  its  sublimity.  The  redemption  of  a  lost  world 
by  the  Son  of  God,  is  the  most  exalted  subject 
that  ever  engaged  the  attention  of  human  beings. 
It  is  probably  the  most  grand  and  wonderful 
event  that  ever  took  place  in  the  Universe  of 
God.  When  we  consider  that  He  who  thought 
it  no  robbery  to    be    equal    with  God,  took    upon 


THE  DOCTRINE  OF  JESUS.  399 

himself  the  form  of  a  servant,  and  humbled  him- 
self to  live  in  this  world  of  sin  and  sorrow,  and 
to  suffer  on  the  cross  as  a  sacrifice  for  the  sins 
of  men,  we  are  overwhelmed  with  astonishment. 
We  look  in  vain  for  such  an  instance  of  exalted 
virtue  in  the  history  of  the  world.  It  stands 
unrivaled  and  unparalleled,  and  is,  and  will  for 
ever  be  the  subject  of  wonder  and  admiration,  not 
only  of  men  but  of  angels. 

The  doctrine  of  Jesus  is  alarming  to  sinners. 
To  the  impenitent,  while  they  remain  such,  it 
offers  no  comfort;  but  denounces  against  them, 
as  the  just  punishment  of  their  impenitence  and 
unbelief,  indignation  and  wrath,  tribulation  and 
anguish.  It  is  a  doctrine  full  of  alarm  to  the 
careless  and  secure.  To  the  hypocrite  it  speaks 
in  language  of  terror.  To  the  unrenewed  and 
unholy  it  declares  the  wrath  of  God,  and  the 
curse  of  his  violated  law.  It  gives  no  encourage- 
ment but  to  those  who  sincerely  repent,  and 
unfeignedly  believe  the  gospel. 

But  while  the  doctrine  of  Jesus  is  alarming  to 
sinners,  it  is  full  of  comfort  and  satisfaction  to 
the  children  of  God.  Its  language  is,  *  There  is 
no  condemnation  to  them  that  are  in  Christ  Jesus, 
who  walk  not  after  the  flesh  but  after  the  Spirit.' 


400  SERMON  VI. 

To  the  saints,  ^11  its  precious  promises  are  ad- 
dressed. Thej  are  the  heirs  of  God,  and  joint 
heirs  with  Jesus  Christ.  '  All  things  are  theirs, 
whether  Paul,  or  A  polios,  or  Cephas,  or  things 
present,  or  things  to  come.' 

In  affliction,  the  doctrine  of  Jesus  is  full  of 
comfort  and  support.  It  makes  our  bed  in  our 
sickness,  and  smooths  for  us  the  pillow  of  death. 
It  addresses  language  like  this  to  all  the  children 
of  God,  when  they  are  bowed  down  with  sorrow, 
and  sinking  under  the  weight  of  trials :  '  Fear 
not,  for  I  am  with  thee  ;  be  not  dismayed,  for 
I  am  thy  God.'  'When  thou  passest  through 
the  waters  I  will  be  with  thee,  and  through  the 
rivers  they  shall  not  overflow  thee ;  when  thou 
walkest  through  the  fire  thou  shalt  not  be  burnt, 
neither  shall  the  flame  kindle  upon  thee.  Yea, 
when  thou  walkest  through  the  valley  of  the 
shadow  of  death  thou  shalt  fear  no  evil ' — for 
God  will  be  with  you,  his  rod  and  staff  they  will 
comfort  you. 

Such,  my  hearers,  is  the  doctrine  of  Jesus — 
a  doctrine  remarkable  for  its  truth,  its  purity,  its 
sublimity,  its  terror  to  the  wicked,  and  its  comfort 
to  the  righteous. 


THE  DOCTRINE   OF  JESUS.  401 

Let  US  now,  as  we  proposed,  Secondly,  notice 
Christ's  manner  of  teaching.  '  He  taught  them,' 
says  the  Evangelist,  '  as  one  having  authority,  and 
not  as  the  Scribes.'  '  Never  man  spake  like  this 
man,'  was  the  testimony  borne  by  his  enemies  to 
his  manner  of  teaching.  There  was  something 
very  peculiar  in  the  Saviour's  manner,  which 
attracted  general  attention ;  something  which 
plainly  indicated  that  the  speaker  was  more  than 
human,  that  he  was  divine.  His  manner  was 
dignified,  solemn,  bold  and  impressive ;  affection- 
ate, tender,  mild,  conciliating  and  persuasive.  It 
was  so  dignified  and  impressive,  that  frequently, 
when  his  enemies  endeavored  to  entangle  him  in 
his  talk,  they  were  awed  into  silence,  and  con- 
strained to  admire  the  gracious  words  that  fell 
from  his  lips.  How  admirable  was  his  reply  to 
the  captious  Scribes,  who  interrogated  him  re- 
specting the  tribute  :  "  Render  therefore  unto 
Csesar  the  things  which  are  Caesar's,  and  unto 
God  the  things  that  are  God's."  Sometimes  he 
would  reply  to  their  impertinent  questions,  by 
proposing  other  questions,  which  they  could  not, 
or  dared  not  answer.  The  boldness  of  his 
manner  is  strikingly  illustrated  in  his  address  to 
his    hypocritical    countrymen :    "  Ye    serpents,   ye 


402  SERMON  VI.       , 

generation    of    vipers,    how    can    ye    escape    the 
damnation  of  hell  ?  " 

But  though  the  Saviour  was  remarkable  for  his 
dignified,  solemn  and  impressive  mode  of  address, 
he  was  still  more  distinguished  for  the  affectionate, 
mild  and  persuasive  manner  in  which  he  taught 
his  disciples  the  great  truths  of  religion.  How 
tender  is  his  expostulation  with  his  own  country- 
men :  '  O  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem !  thou  that  killest 
the  prophets,  and  stonest  them  which  are  sent 
unto  thee  !  how  often  would  I  have  gathered  you 
together  as  a  hen  gathereth  her  chickens  under 
her  wings,  but  ye  would  not.'  With  what  affection 
and  tenderness  did  he  collect  little  children  around 
him,  and  assure  them  that  *of  such  is  the  kingdom 
of  heaven.'  With  the  proud  and  self-righteous, 
he  was  bold  and  even  severe  ;  but  with  the  broken- 
hearted, and  those  of  a  contrite  spirit,  he  was  all 
tenderness  and  compassion.  He  never  broke  the 
bruised  reed,  nor  quenched  the  smoking  flax.  His 
language  to  such  is,  "Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that 
labor  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you 
rest."  "  If  any  man  thirst,  let  him  come  unto 
me  and  drink.  Whosoever  cometh  unto  me,  I 
will  in  no  wise  cast  out."  Jesus  excelled  all  the 
other  teachers,  in  the  mild,  gracious  and  winning 


THE   DOCTRINE   OF   JESUS.  403 

manner  of  his  address.  He  lays  before  sinners 
the  awful  consequences  of  impenitence,  to  awaken 
in  them  a  sense  of  their  danger ;  but  he  dwells 
with  peculiar  pleasure  on  the  mercy  and  grace 
which  he  came  to  display.  He  preached  the 
terrors  of  the  future  world  to  the  obstinate  and 
impenitent  sinner  ;  but  to  the  penitent  and  humble 
he  ministered  the  sweet  encouragements  of  infinite 
grace.  In  the  synagogue  of  Capernaum  he  read 
and  applied  to  himself  the  words  of  the  Prophet : 
'  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  God  is  upon  me,  because 
he  hath  anointed  me  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the 
poor ;  he  hath  sent  me  to  heal  the  broken-hearted, 
to  preach  deliverance  to  the  captives,  and  the 
opening  of  the  prison  to  them  that  are  bound.' 
And  the  people  who  heard  him,  bare  him  witness, 
and  wondered  at  the  gracious  words  which  pro- 
ceeded out  of  his  mouth. 

With  great  propriety  then  might  the  Evangelist 
say,  that  he  taught  them  as  one  having  authority, 
and  not  as  the  Scribes.  His  manner  of  teaching 
must  have  been  a  striking  contrast  to  that  of 
those  teachers  whom  the  Jews  were  accustomed 
to  hear  expound  the  Law  and  the  Proi:hets. 
Inflated  with  a  sense  of  their  own  importance, 
the    Scribes    taught    the    people    in    a    haughty, 


404  SERMON    VI. 

supercilious  manner,  totally  unlike  that  of  the 
great  Teacher  of  righteousness.  The  Scribes 
were  ostentatious  in  their  appearance.  They 
loved  greetings  in  the  market-places,  and  to  be 
called  of  men  Rabbi !  Rabbi !  whereas  nothing 
could  be  more  unassuming  than  the  appearance 
of  the  meek  and  lowly  Jesus.  The  Scribes 
insisted  on  mere  external  forms  and  ceremonies 
as  essential  to  salvation ;  while  the  doctrine  of 
Jesus  and  his  Apostles  was,  "  that  circumcision 
availeth  nothing,  nor  uncircumcision,  but  a  new 
creature."  The  Scribes  garnished  the  outside  of 
the  sepulchre,  while  nothing  remained  within  but 
dead  men's  bones  ;  but  Christ  insisted  upon  in- 
ward purity  and  sanctification.  The  Scribes  were 
narrow  and  bigoted  in  their  views,  confining 
salvation  to  their  own  people,  and  excluding  all 
the  Gentiles  from  the  kingdom  of  heaven ;  whereas 
Jesus  hath  shown  the  rich  extent  of  God's  mercy 
to  a  guilty  race,  and  the  way  in  which  pardon 
and  salvation  can  be  obtained  by  all  who  receive 
the  gospel,  of  whatever  nation,  of  whatever  age, 
and  of  whatever  character.  To  us  may  be  ap- 
plied the  words  which  Christ  spake  to  his  disciples: 
"  Blessed  are  your  eyes,  for  they  see ;  and  your 
ears,  for  they  hear.     For  verily  I  say  unto  you,  that 


THE    DOCTRINE    OF  JESUS.  405 

many  prophets  and  righteous  men  have  desired 
to  see  those  things  which  ye  see,  and  have  not 
seen  them  ;  and  to  hear  those  things  which  ye 
hear,  and  have  not  heard   them." 

We  now  proceed,  as  we  proposed  in  the  last 
place,  to  consider  the  effect  of  the  doctrine  of 
Jesus  upon   his   hearers. 

They  were  astonished  at  his  doctrine.  Some- 
thing more  than  mere  astonishment,  as  the  word 
is  generally  understood,  is  implied  in  the  use  of 
it  in  this  connection ;  for  we  read  in  the  com- 
mencement of  the  next  chapter,  that  ''  when  he 
came  down  from  the  mountain  great  multitudes 
followed  him."  The  doctrine  of  Jesus  must  have 
made  a  powerful  impression  on  their  minds ;  and 
there  is  reason  to  hope,  that  to  many  it  was 
blessed  by  the  Spirit  of  God  as  the  instrument 
of  their  conversion.  Some  were  astonished  to 
hear  such  gracious  words  fall  from  his  lips.  Some 
believed  the  things  that  were  spoken,  and  some 
believed  not.  The  same  effect  is  produced  by 
the  doctrine  of  Jesus  in  every  age  and  part  of 
the  world.  It  could  not  be  heard  with  indiffer- 
ence and  unconcern,  for  "it  is  quick  and  powerful, 
sharper  than  any  two-edged  sword,  and  is  a  dis- 
cerner  of  the  thoughts  and  intents  of  the  heart." 


406  SERMON    VI. 

It  carries  conviction  home  to  the  conscience,  and 
searches  into  the  secret  recesses  of  the  soul.  When 
this  doctrine  is  preached  in  its  purity,  its  searching 
effects  are  always  more  or  less  visible.  It  draws 
out  the  different  feelings  of  the  human  heart.  In 
some,  it  excites  the  warmest  opposition ;  in  others, 
the  greatest  delight  and  satisfaction.  To  oppose 
this  doctrine,  the  strongest  and  most  violent  pas- 
sions are  often  brought  into  exercise ;  while  to 
favor  and  enjoy  it,  the  most  indefatigable  pains 
are  often  taken,  and  the  greatest  sacrifices  are 
often  made.  Indeed,  it  is  a  doctrine  to  which 
no  one,  who  hears  it  preached  with  faithfulness, 
can  listen  with  indifference.  It  either  delights  or 
offends.  To  some,  it  is  like  water  to  a  thirsty 
soul ;  while  to  others,  nothing  can  be  more  un- 
palatable. To  some,  it  is  a  savor  of  life  unto 
life ;  while  to  others,  it  is  a  savor  of  death  unto 
death.  To  some,  the  preaching  of  the  cross  is 
foolishness ;  while  to  others,  it  is  the  wisdom  of 
God  and  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation. 

In  closing  this  discourse,  suffer  me,  my  friends, 
to  inquire.  What  effect  has  the  doctrine  of  Jesus 
had  upon  you  ?  Have  you  received  with  meekness 
the    engrafted  Word   which  is   able    to   save  your 


THE  DOCTRINE   OF  JESUS.  407 

souls  ?  or  have  you  been  ready  to  exclaim,  in 
view  of  the  purity  and  spirituality  of  the  Saviour's 
doctrine,  '  These  are  hard  sayings ;  w^ho  can  hear 
them  ? '  Let  me  assure  you  they  are  true  say- 
ings, and  that  except  your  righteousness  exceed 
the  righteousnes  of  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees, 
you  shall  in  no  case  enter  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 
The  morality  of  the  Saviour's  doctrine,  particularly 
his  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  is  a  different  thing 
from  what  many  have  supposed.  It  is  something 
more  than  a  collection  of  moral  sayings  to  regulate 
the  outward  conduct.  It  contains,  in  the  strongest 
expressions,  the  doctrine  of  regeneration,  and  the 
absolute  necessity  of  self-denial.  It  inculcates 
secret  duties  as  essential  to  true  religion.  It  ex- 
pressly asserts,  that  strait  is  the  gate,  and  narrow 
is  the  way  that  leadeth  unto  life,  and  few  there 
be  that  find  it.  It  cautions  us  against  worldly- 
mindedness,  and  urges  us  to  lay  up  our  treasures 
in  heaven,  where  neither  moth  nor  rust  doth 
corrupt,  and  where  thieves  do  not  break  through 
and  steal. 

Let  me  entreat  you,  then,  to  ponder  these  say- 
ings of  Jesus  in  your  minds.  They  contain  rules 
for  practical  piety  in  almost  every  situation  in 
life.     If  we  reduce  these  rules  to   daily  practice, 


408  SERMON  VI. 

do  to  others  as  we  would  that  others  should  do  to 
us,  and  let  our  light  shine  before  men,  we  shall 
more  adorn  the  doctrine  of  God  our  Saviour,  and 
induce  others  to  glorify  our  Father  in  heaven. 

*  Thus  would  our  lips  and  lives  express 
The  holy  gospel  we  profess  ; 
Thus  would  our  works  and  virtues  shine, 
To  prove  the  doctrine  all  divine.' 


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